GSIA’s FNSB Recycling (and reuse) Guide

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#2 Plastic Natural HDPE (bottles and jugs only)

Plastics
Recycle

Accepted at 1 location

Natural HDPE is a rigid, translucent plastic used for milk jugs, laundry detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, and other household containers.

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Material Details

Natural HDPE #2 bottles and jugs are translucent (you can see some light through them) and appear milky-white to semi transparent.

Also known as: NHDPE, HDPE, Natural HDPE, Natural #2, #2, high density polyethelene

Accepted Locations

FNSB Central Recycling Facility (CRF) logo
FNSB Central Recycling Facility (CRF)
Recycle
~16 yd³ (4.2 tons) diverted · FY26
What happens: #2 Natural HDPE (NHDPE) plastic bottles and jugs are baled in the FNSB CRF and staged for shipment to Anchorage to Smuritt Westrock. Smurfitt Westrock sends plastics and aluminum to partner mills in the Packfic Northwest to be recycled into more plastic and aluminum packaging.
ResidentialFREEBusinessFREE
Address: 1855 Marika Road, Fairbanks, AK 99709 Get directions ›
Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10:00am-5:30pm, Saturday 9:00am-5:00pm, Closed Sunday-Monday
See details ›

Last updated on June 15, 2026 by Green Star GM

About #2 Plastic Natural HDPE (bottles and jugs only)

What it is

High-density polyethylene (HDPE, or #2 plastic) is translucent, which is why milk jugs appear cloudy. It excels at chemical resistance and handles acids, bases, alcohols, detergents, and bleach without degradation. HDPE is the second most recycled plastic after PET, with the EPA reporting a 29.3% recycling rate for natural (translucent) HDPE bottles.

How it’s recycled

HDPE bottles go through sorting by type and color, cleaning to remove contaminants like food residue, shredding into flakes, melting and reforming into pellets, and manufacturing into new products. Recycled HDPE is often used to make new containers, plastic lumber, and piping.

How to prepare it

Empty any remaining food/product and rinse if necessary. Remove caps or other non-HDPE components attached to the plastic (cap rings around the neck are OK) and remove any residue or contaminants. Clean plastics are more likely to be accepted by recycling facilities.

Common mistakes

Leaving residue in bottles can contaminate the recycling stream, meaning bottles may end up discarded to a landfill instead of being recycled. Including hazardous material plastic bottles like motor oil containers in recycling bins can risk contaminating the entire load.

Environmental impact

HDPE takes a long time to break down naturally, meaning it can remain in our environment for hundreds of years. Recycling HDPE saves up to 75% of the energy needed to produce new plastic and conserves energy resources while reducing carbon footprint. Using recycled HDPE reduces demand for virgin HDPE production, which requires petroleum extraction and refining.

Did you know?

The EPA reports recycling ten plastic bottles can save enough energy to power a laptop computer for 24 hours.

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See all locations46
Address: 2128 Van Horn Rd, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Get directions ›
Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-6pm; Sat 9am-3pm

Last updated on June 15, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 975 Van Horn Road, Suite 6 Suite 6, Fairbanks, AK 99709 Get directions ›
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Last updated on June 15, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 2925 Newby Rd, North Pole, AK 99705 Get directions ›

Eyeglass recycling and vision assistance

Last updated on June 15, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 3027 Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK 99709 Get directions ›
Hours: Mon-Sat 8:00 AM-7:00 PM, Sun 10:00 AM-5:00 PM

Last updated on June 15, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: Fairbanks, AK Get directions ›

Contact business for details about collection and dropoff options.

Last updated on May 31, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 401 E Van Horn Rd, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Get directions ›
Hours: Monday–Friday: 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m., Saturday: 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

To secure a precise quote for your exact material (whether it is structural steel, pipe, sheet metal, or non-ferrous scrap), it is best to contact them directly.

Last updated on June 15, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 32 College Rd., Fairbanks, AK Get directions ›
Hours: Dropbox is available 24/7

Last updated on June 3, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 2226 Old Steese Hwy N Y, Fairbanks, AK 99712 Get directions ›
Hours: Dropbox is available 24/7

Last updated on June 9, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 805 Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK Get directions ›
Hours: Dropbox is available 24/7

Last updated on June 3, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 301 N Santa Claus Ln, North Pole, AK Get directions ›
Hours: Dropbox is available 24/7

Drop box is located near the Northwest corner of the parking lot just West of the welcome center.

Last updated on June 5, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 1910 Tanana Lp E, Fairbanks, AK 99775 Get directions ›
Hours: Dropbox is available 24/7

Last updated on June 5, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 1650 Cowles St, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Get directions ›
Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-6pm; Sat-Sun 10am-6pm

Last updated on June 15, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 911 Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Get directions ›
Hours: 24/7

Last updated on June 9, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 723 27th Ave, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Get directions ›
Hours: 9am-5pm M-F

Last updated on June 5, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 505 Old Steese Hwy, Ste 126, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Get directions ›
Hours: Mon-Sat 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM, Sun 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Last updated on June 15, 2026 by Green Star GM

FNSB Central Recycling Facility (CRF)

Recycling FacilityFNSB residents and businesses only
See location details ›
Address: 1855 Marika Road, Fairbanks, AK 99709 Get directions ›
Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10:00am-5:30pm, Saturday 9:00am-5:00pm, Closed Sunday-Monday

The FNSB Central Recycling Facility (CRF) is a service for FNSB residents and businesses / organizations only. Unlike the landfill, there is no provision for "out of borough" collection. Residents and businesses…

Last updated on June 15, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 455 Sanduri Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Get directions ›
Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-4pm, Sat 9am-4pm, Sun 12pm-4pm; closed New Year's, Thanksgiving, Christmas

The FNSB Sanitary Landfill also serves as the transfer sites for FNSB residents living inside the City of Fairbanks.

Last updated on June 16, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 889 Holmes Road, Fairbanks, AK 99707 Get directions ›

See FNSB documents for accepted items and fees

Last updated on June 9, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 5749 Old Chatanika Road, Fairbanks, AK 99707 Get directions ›

See FNSB documents for accepted items and fees

Last updated on June 13, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 2395 Old Chena Ridge Road, Fairbanks, AK 99707 Get directions ›

See FNSB documents for accepted items and fees

Last updated on June 9, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 2535 Little Shot Road, Fairbanks, AK 99707 Get directions ›

See FNSB documents for accepted items and fees

Last updated on June 9, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 301 Old Steese Highway N, Fairbanks, AK 99707 Get directions ›
Hours: Mon-Sun 6am-10pm

See FNSB documents for accepted items and fees

Last updated on June 9, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 2180 Farmers Loop Road, Fairbanks, AK 99707 Get directions ›

See FNSB documents for accepted items and fees

Last updated on June 9, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 284 Goldstream Road, Fairbanks, AK 99707 Get directions ›

See FNSB documents for accepted items and fees

Last updated on June 9, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 3485 Old Richardson Highway, North Pole, AK 99705 Get directions ›

See FNSB documents for accepted items and fees

Last updated on June 9, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 2740 Old Richardson Highway, Fairbanks, AK 99707 Get directions ›

See FNSB documents for accepted items and fees

Last updated on June 9, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 901 Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Get directions ›

The mission of BRIDGE is to assist young adults with developmental disabilities in gaining skills, knowledge and appropriate behaviors to become successful individuals, citizens and workers in the community.

Last updated on June 15, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 930 Old Steese Hwy, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Get directions ›
Hours: Mon-Sun 6:00 am - 11:00 pm

Last updated on June 5, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 3755 Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK 99709 Get directions ›
Hours: Mon-Sun 7:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Last updated on June 15, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 2134 Texaco Ave Suite A, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Get directions ›
Hours: Office: Mon-Thu 9am-2pm; Electronics Sales: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 1pm-5pm

Home of the Green Star electronics recycling warehouse and our Reuse IT discounted refurbished electronics store, Repair IT desktop and laptop repair, Rebuild IT computer building classes and Reboot IT technology grants.

Last updated on June 15, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 1301 Old Steese Hwy, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Get directions ›
Hours: Mon-Sat: 6:00am - 10:00pm; Sun: 7:00am - 8:00pm

Take compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) to staff at self-checkout lane if service desk attendants do not know where they belong.

Last updated on June 9, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 1550 Spur Ct., North Pole, AK 99705 Get directions ›
Hours: Mon-Sat 8am-5pm

Formerly Chena Power / K & K Recycling

Last updated on June 5, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 30 College Rd, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Get directions ›
Hours: Open 5AM - Midnight 7 days per week.

Last updated on June 15, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 3755 Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK 99709 Get directions ›
Hours: Open 5AM - Midnight 7 days per week.

Last updated on June 15, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 301 N Santa Claus Ln, North Pole, AK 99705 Get directions ›
Hours: Open 5AM - Midnight 7 days per week.

Last updated on June 15, 2026 by Green Star GM

Address: 2222 S Cushman St, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Get directions ›
Hours: Monday - Saturday: 10:00am - 5:30pm

Acceptable items: Clean Clothing Linens and towels Clothing accessories: belts, ties, scarves, hats Small appliances Clean shoes, boots, sandals, etc. Vehicles with titles Toys, games, puzzles Eye glasses Books, DVD'S, VHS's, Cassette…

Last updated on June 15, 2026 by Green Star GM


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