Season’s Greetings from the staff and board of Green Star of Interior Alaska (GSIA)!
This past year has been a great year for supporting our mission: Encourage and enable waste reduction and increase recycling in our FNSB communities and Interior Alaska. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit our focus on and dedication to this mission has been steadfast and could not have happened without your support. Here are some of the highlights of our work in 2025, made possible thanks to your generous contributions:
- 2025 marked GSIA’s third year as the operator of FNSB’s Central Recycling Facility (CRF). FY 2025 was a record year for the CRF, and we are on track to break another record in FY 2026. Before 2025 the CRF had never baled and shipped over 1,000,000 lbs. of cardboard in a single year – and we shipped 1.2 million lbs. in 2025! Electronics recycling was also up at the CRF with over 130 tons received in FY 2025. The CRF now also accepts steel / tin cans!
- Our partnership with Zender Environmental and Backhaul Alaska continues to grow with over 12 tons of e-waste backhauled from 9 rural communities just this year.
- 2025 was a stellar year for our Reuse IT programs. Reuse IT offers refurbished computers and electronics, computer and laptop repair and upgrade services, and Rebuild IT – build your own PC classes. The Reuse IT team has kept literally 11 tons of electronics alive so far this year – an average of one ton per month.
- As of the end of October our Reboot IT Technology Grants program had already granted 189 systems to low income residents and nonprofits this year – 135 of those systems were provided for free. Now, thanks to a $3,500 grant from the Alaska Community Foundation, this program will continue to expand in 2026.
- Our “Borrow a Bin” program which loans recycling bins to businesses, organizations, schools, groups, and events, added 15 new recyclers and supported 11 events!
- In 2025 we increased recycling pop-ups to make recycling more accessible for FNSB residents not located near the CRF. Pop-ups now include monthly events at the Goldstream Farmers Market, and several pop-ups in the North Pole area. We plan to expand the locations and number of pop-ups in 2026.
- We facilitated more facility tours in 2025 than ever, including tours of the CRF, our GSIA Electronics Recycling Warehouse and the FNSB Sanitary Landfill (led by Recycling Manager Matt Pearson). We put on tours for multiple FNSBSD and homeschools, offices and groups, as well as public tours on National Recycling Day, Earth Day and Wednesdays throughout the spring. Tours provide education, awareness and community support for what we do. Look for more tours and events in 2026!
As you can see, your support is making a huge daily difference in our community! We can’t do it without you. And we will be as diligent and deliberate with your money as we always have been. Will you please continue to help?
Please Donate with the enclosed envelope, at our website: https://iagreenstar.org/give/
