Why should we backhaul electronic waste?

Here are some of the reasons we focus on rural community backhaul

• All landfills in rural communities in Alaska are unlined and 73% still practice landfill burning to reduce landfill volume. 
• Toxic compounds can often leech into drinking water and/or are burned and deposited on the surrounding landscapes
• 80% of Alaskan villages still practice subsistence hunting and gathering on those same landscapes. 
• By removing electronic waste from these landfills, we can reduce the exposure of rural residents and their environment to these toxic compounds. 

For further reading on the public health risks of uncontrolled waste in rural Alaskan villages, please see this publication by Zender Environmental and Health Group.

Want to Haul Your Waste with Green Star?

To any communities wanting to backhaul with us, we can provide:

• Responsible recycling of electronic waste, lead-acid vehicle batteries, and fluorescent light tubes once backhauled
• Pass-through corporate sponsorship funding to help cover the cost of recycling electronics
• Shipping coordination from major transport hubs (Ruby Marine and FAI) to our warehouse in Fairbanks, Alaska
• Single point of contact, tax receipts and public recognition to any transport company or corporate sponsor involved, incentivizing their provision of no or low-cost backhaul with participating villages.
• Connection to in-state training opportunities provided by Zender Environmental

If you are an environmental coordinator or a concerned citizen in your rural community and want to get electronics recycling and backhaul started, here are steps:

1. Email us at or give us a call at (907) 452-4152 to discuss how to start separating material and preparing it for shipment.
2. When you are ready, receive and sign an agreement with Green Star
3. Work with Green Star to figure out your transport options
4. Palletize electronics for shipment. We have a training manual available that was produced by the Yukon Intertribal Watershed Council on backhaul packaging standards. Zender Environmental leads great trainings on the subject as well.
5. Notify Green Star three days in advance of incoming electronics
6. Receive invoice in the mail for weights, cost of recycling, and amount that is covered by sponsorship.

To learn more about what happens to the electronics once they reach our warehouse, see our Electronics Recycling Program page.

Statewide efforts – Backhaul Alaska

Green Star is currently the active Regional Coordinator for the Backhaul Alaska Interior region, working with Zender Environmental and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation to coordinate the shipment and processing of electronic waste from their Pilot 1 and Pilot 2 communities. This partnership brings

• Site visit funding
• Supplies
• State-wide coordination