Information about Recycling in Fairbanks
Interactive Recycling Guide
Green Star of Interior Alaska has created an Interactive Recycling Guide with information about identification, preparation and locations for recycling various materials in the Fairbanks Area.
View the Interactive Recycling Guide
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I recycle in Fairbanks?
View our interactive map on this page for recycling locations. See our recycling guide for information about specific recycling needs in Fairbanks! You can also download our PDF Recycling Guide.
What materials does the Central Recycling Facility (CRF) accept?
The Central Recycling Facility accepts aluminum cans, cardboard, paper, #1 and #2 plastics, and electronics. See this quick reference guide for details on what is acceptable and unacceptable. You can also explore our Interactive Recycling Guide for all your recycling needs in FNSB.
What happens if I try to drop off recyclable material that is not on the CRF’s list of accepted materials?
If you don’t know whether an item is recyclable in Fairbanks, ask CRF staff before handing the item to them. If you’re not sure and don’t have time to check, it’s best not to drop it off. When in doubt, leave it out!
What happens to my recycling when I drop it off at the CRF?
West Rock is the borough’s contractor who buys and sells (brokers) our materials to mills all around the world. The borough ships recycled materials from the CRF to West Rock’s facilities in Anchorage via train.
Aluminum is typically shipped via train to Kentucky.
Plastic is typically shipped to countries overseas, like Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia.
Mixed Paper is typically shipped to mills in the Pacific Northwest.
Cardboard is shipped to the West Rock processing plant in Yakima, WA to be made into new cardboard. Some cardboard is sold to Thermo-Kool in Wasilla to be made into insulation material.
Electronics are delivered to Green Star to separate functioning, newer-model computers, vintage or collectible items, and other electronics for refurbishing from electronics materials that are no longer usable. We refurbish electronics when possible to sell for reuse at our warehouse and to various buyers locally and nationally. Non-working electronics are sorted onto pallets and shipped to Total Reclaim in Tacoma, WA. Total Reclaim separates “Cathode Ray Tubes” (CRTs) – i.e., big boxy TVs and computer monitors – and other computer equipment into component parts. These parts, which include leaded glass, precious metals, non-precious metals, and plastics, are made available to manufacturers for purchase. Steel and aluminum computer frames are sold to a local scrap metal dealer.
Why can’t I recycle glass in Fairbanks?
The current prices for recycled glass do not cover the cost of collecting, sorting, and transporting the heavy material from Alaska to glass plants in the lower 48. Glass bottle manufacturing has decreased 50% over the last half century since plastic bottles and aluminum cans have taken a large part of the container market, and the market value of recycled glass continues to decrease. Despite the expense and difficulty of recycling glass, the environmental value of using post-consumer glass in glass production (energy savings, reduction in greenhouse gases, waste reduction) still holds strong.
Why doesn’t Fairbanks offer curbside pick-up for recycling?
Curbside pick-up is only feasible in areas with a high density of people, which means a high number of paying customers per mile driven. Most of Interior Alaska does not have a high enough population density for garbage pick-up or curbside recycling. Our situation isn’t unique – only half of Americans have curbside pick up!
Why doesn’t the Borough use a single-stream recycling system?
Can I recycle in North Pole?
North Pole residents are part of the borough, and thus can drop off their recycling at the Central Recycling Facility for free, like all other residents.
Recyclable Materials
Why are #1 and #2 plastics the only types collected for recycling in Fairbanks?
#2 plastic is known as High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), and includes milky or solid colored plastics, milk jugs, and detergent and shampoo bottles. Look for a seam at the base. Generally, the mouth of the container needs to be smaller than or equal in size to the base.
To make the CRF successful (i.e., to make enough money to pay for itself), the borough focuses on collecting types of plastic that have the highest resale value and the most consistent market demand. Other types of plastic could be recycled if the economic demand for them as a raw commodity rose. #1 and #2 plastics are easy to recycle because they do not have chemical additives that prevent them from being melted down for remanufacturing. The CRF lacks the space to stockpile material that it cannot readily sell, so it is not able to collect certain types of plastics in the hope that one day the market demand for them will rise.
Why is the clear rigid packing material used to package food (i.e., clamshell containers) labeled as #1 plastic not accepted by the CRF?
Why do we need to remove the lids on plastic bottles before recycling them?
Why can’t I drop off my steel cans at the CRF?
The CRF does not have sufficient space to store steel cans until they have a large enough volume of steel to sell for a profit. Luckily, there is a private company in Fairbanks, K&K Recycling, that handles scrap metal, including steel cans.
What happens to my data when I drop off a phone or computer for recycling at the CRF?
Any data in any device that is dropped off for recycling is destroyed in one of two ways:
- If the device works and is serviceable for resale, it is digitally wiped first.
- If the device does not work, it is sold to scrap buyers who shred the hard drives into little bits, making the data unreadable.
Does C&R Pipe and Steel smelt recycled metals locally?
No. C&R Pipe and Steel is a private business that has a division that buys scrap metal for bulk resale and another division that sells pipe, but they do not manufacture or smelt the pipes themselves. Their stockpile of metal is impressive and so is their use of heavy equipment to compress scrap metals into “bales” and cut steel to size. All the scrap metal is shipped to Washington and sold to various buyers. The old steel is melted down, purified, and used to manufacture various steel products like pipe for the oil fields.
Other Recycling Questions
How is China’s 2018 ban on recycled material imports affecting the U.S. recycling market?
China’s ban also requires recyclers in the United States to get serious about contamination of recyclable materials. As consumers, we can help this process by rinsing our recyclables thoroughly, and ensuring we only dispose of material that can actually be recycled by our local communities. This worldwide shift in the recycling market has slowed recycling down for the moment, but is also opening up exciting new opportunities for recycling innovations in the U.S.
What is a container deposit law (also known as a bottle bill), and do we have one in Alaska?
A container deposit law, or “bottle bill,” is legislation designed to encourage higher recycling rates for beverage containers made of aluminum, glass, and plastic. Consumers pay a deposit on all bottles purchased, which is then refunded to the consumer when the bottles are returned to a designated collection site.
Alaska does not have a container deposit law in place, nor is any legislation currently being considered by the state government.