Sept. 1, 2010
To the editor:
Re: The letter “Dumpster divers.” I’m sorry Jeff Fellas had that experience. However, I would appeal to him to take his magazines, newspapers and cardboard to be recycled at the Rescue Mission, Wal-Mart or Fort Wainwright. It would keep a lot out of the landfill.
My suggestion has been to have people who need to serve community service at the transfer sites to help unload and sort things as they come in. North Pole has a good setup with large bins that are labeled for people to put things in, such as books, electronics, kitchen and household, clothing, etc.
Several of us have tried to keep things sorted because a lot of useful things come from the platforms, but unfortunately, there always seem to be people who want to break things, which ruins it for everyone else.
A lot of people get clothes and furniture from the platforms and they serve a purpose. If people insist on taking apart appliances, they should throw them in the Dumpsters instead of leaving the parts and broken glass everywhere. I never go in the Dumpsters but get a lot of clothes and things at the platforms, which keeps them out of the dump and helps me out, since I have a very limited budget.
Interior Alaska green star has a form that tells where and what you can bring to all the participating companies.
here is the homepage:
http://www.iagreenstar.org/resources/e-recycling-faq
here is the form:
http://www.iagreenstar.org/resources/e-recycling-faq
I found that by recycling and composting my trash for one week for myself and 2 small kids is only 2, 13 gallon bags a week. Or neighbors with the same number of people easliy have 5-7.
Of course I have to pay the same amout they do for trash collection.
I don't think a print version will be as responsive to the changing needs of the community, nor should the DNM be expected to provide that much free space in the paper. An online resource, however, will allow places like the Rescue Mission to constantly post their requirements for recycled items (which happens to be a long chart taking up a lot of space on the side of my computer). Also, those with limited recycle product needs (kindergarten classrooms needing eggcartons), can remove their request as soon as they have met their goal.
Groups that have projects and need certain items (egg cartons, milk cartons, etc) can put in a listing (and remove it when it is no longer needed) .
Long term recycling efforts (Fairbanks Rescue Mission for example) can list what they accept and in what condition. Special recycling efforts (like the computers and electronics) can be listed or linked (so we don't miss the recycle day, which I always do).
Links to recycle groups like yahoo group freecyclefairbanks can almost make it unneccessary to take anything to the transfer platform.
It has taken me nearly 25 years to find recycling resources that have been here nearly as long.
Come on, Newsminer...a page like this would be a great community resource.