Recycle Aluminum
Why Recycle Aluminum?
Recycling aluminum cans saves precious natural resources,
energy, time and money. Aluminum cans are unique
in that in 60 days a can is recycled, turned into
a new can, and back on store shelves. Aluminum
is a sustainable metal and can be recycled over and
over again. Recycling one aluminum can saves
enough energy to run a TV for 3 hours. In 2003,
54 billion cans were recycled, saving the energy equivalent
of 15 million barrels of crude oil - America's entire
gas consumption for one day.
What You Can Do
ALPAR Flying Cans Program
ALPAR’s Flying Cans Program allows rural communities
throughout Alaska to send their aluminum cans to Anchorage
for recycling. ALPAR can supply the bags and
will pay $0.35 for every pound of aluminum cans sent.
You are responsible for packaging, labeling, and transporting
them to the airstrip to an airline that connects with
Northern Air Cargo.
The most important part of this program will be
coordinating a collection system in your community.
You can start by finding a suitable container that
will hold aluminum cans 
(plywood boxes, 55 gallon
drums, or garbage cans), keep the cans dry, and prevent
them from blowing away. Try to place it in a
central part of your community where people can conveniently
drop off their cans or areas that receive a lot of
traffic. Be sure to label the bins to let people
know what they are for and that they are not a trash
can. If you have a can crusher it would be helpful,
but ALPAR does not require the cans to be crushed. Make
sure to advertise the program in your community so
that you can collect as many cans as possible.
For further information and application forms contact Nils or Ellen.
You can contact Mary Fisher the Executive Director
at ALPAR, she will be happy to answer any of your
questions:
PO Box 200393
Anchorage, AK 99520
907-274-3266
fax: 907-274-8023
email: alpar@gci.net
Website: www.alparalaska.com
Bethel Recycling Center Flying Cans Program
They work much the same way that the ALPAR Flying Cans Program works. Find a way to collect cans in your community, bag them up, label them, and ship them to Bethel Recycling Center.
You can contact Bill Burnard at Bethel Recycling
Center if you have any questions:
(907)543-7072
Open: Monday – Friday until 5 p.m.
Here is an example of a label you should use when sending cans to Bill:
Your Name
Your Address
Village AK Zip Code
Bethel Recycling Center
Attn: Bill Burnard
Bethel, AK 99559
For further contact information see “Resources”
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