Green Star Annual Report 2012

Interior Alaska Green Star Annual Report 2012

Physical Address: 565 University Avenue, Suite 4, Fairbanks, Alaska 99709 Mailing Address: PO Box 82391, Fairbanks, Alaska 99708 (907) 452-4152 www.iagreenstar.org info@iagreenstar.org

Executive Director Kalee Meurlott kalee@iagreenstar.org

Mission Statement Interior Alaska Green Star is a non-profit organization which encourages households and businesses to practice waste reduction, energy conservation and pollution prevention

Interior Alaska Green Star – 2012 Annual Report Message from the Executive Director In April 2013, I took over for Andrea Miller as Executive Director of Interior Alaska Green Star.

Fortunately for us, Andrea is still involved with IAGS as an active board member, and we are lucky to have her expertise and energy as part of our organization.

I moved to Fairbanks in 2010 to work for Calypso Farm and Ecology Center’s Farm to School Program. I am very passionate about education, waste reduction, and energy conservation. My passions align with Green Star’s mission, making me a perfect fit for this job. One thing that has impressed me about IAGS in my short time here is the dedication and passion of everyone who is involved with the organization. It is refreshing to see the enthusiasm for volunteering in the Fairbanks community. With over 100 IAGS volunteers, I get to see that enthusiasm almost on a daily basis. These volunteers have an opportunity to show their passion and commitment to recycling and living green in the Interior by supporting us – coming out to help with our outdoor events (often in cold or inclement weather) and cheerfully assisting with every task at hand to ensure that these events are successful. Our special events could not go on without all the hard work of these amazing volunteers! In addition to our volunteer force, IAGS is fortunate to have a working board, who give so much of their time, energy, and expertise to help IAGS realize its mission and goals; they consistently go well above and beyond expectations to ensure our continued development and success.

Finally, IAGS is grateful for the ongoing financial support of our generous donors and supporters, without whom none of this would be possible. These community-minded businesses and organizations support our mission of helping to keep the Interior green, and we appreciate their contributions to our efforts. Overall, I am just so thankful for all the inspiring people I have met through my association with IAGS, and look forward to many more great experiences ahead!

Here’s to another successful year!

1

Interior Alaska Green Star – 2012 Annual Report Electronics Recycling Events WHY WE CARE ABOUT ELECTRONIC WASTE According to the EPA, 3.19 million tons of electronic waste was generated in the U.S. in 2009; only 600,000 tons of this electronic waste (e-waste) was recycled. This means that over 82% of our e-waste – or 2.59 million tons – ended up in our landfills in a single year. That number continues to grow as Americans now own on average 24 electronic products per household.

E-waste contains toxic materials such as lead, mercury, cadmium and brominated flame retardants. For example, an old CRT monitor can contain between four and eight pounds of lead. It is estimated that nearly 40% of the heavy metals in landfills comes from discarded electronic equipment. Aside from the toxic issues surrounding electronics disposal, much of the material present in computers and other electronic devices is recoverable, such as gold, copper, metal, and plastics. According to the EPA, for example, for every million cell phones we recycle, 35,274 pounds of copper, 772 pounds of silver, 75 pounds of gold, and 33 pounds of palladium can be recovered. Recovering metals from used cell phones can reduce extraction of raw metals from the earth. Rather than throwing away these valuable resources, it makes sense to recycle the devices and reuse as many of these materials as possible.

IAGS TAKES ACTION IN FAIRBANKS IAGS opened the Electronics Recycling Depot in 2011. This depot continues to be open to collect old and unwanted electronics for recycling on the third weekend of every month – Friday and Saturday. In 2012 IAGS diverted a total of 166,202 pounds (83.1 tons) of electronic waste from the landfills of Interior Alaska. Collecting 33.8 tons of electronics in 2011 confirms that IAGS was able to collect 50 tons more in 2012! The depot served a total of 1,188 customers during that time period – 843 more households and businesses than 2011.

Recycling Round-Up IAGS decided to discontinue the Recycling Round-Up Program this year due to the high use of our monthly electronic recycling depot. In addition, the introduction of the Recycling Guide is intended to answer frequently asked questions regarding recycling options in the Interior and to help residents to recycle year-round, rather than waiting for an annual event.

ELECTRONICS RECYCLING PARTNERS  Total Reclaim, Inc. (TRI) continues to be our electronics recycling partner based on their high recovery rate of e-waste materials and their responsible handling of toxic materials. TRI researches all of their downstream vendors to ensure they are environmentally responsible.

They hold ISO:14001, R2:2008, and E-Steward certifications for all of their facilities.  The Fairbanks North Star Borough Recycling Commission approved funding for the Interior Alaska Green Star (IAGS) Electronics Recycling Depot in the amount of $25,000 on November 16, 2011. By 2012, the Mayor approved this request, granting IAGS $25,000, in two installments.

This funding allowed IAGS to offer free electronics recycling for all residents and businesses in the Fairbanks North Star Borough for most of 2012.

2

Interior Alaska Green Star – 2012 Annual Report 

 

The Fairbanks North Star Borough Solid Waste Division was a key partner in the 2012 Electronics Recycling collections. Although the funding for this program was based on the recommendation of the Recycling Commission, the actual funds came from the Solid Waste Division. That being said, their monetary contributions were essential to the increased success of this program over the past year.

Air Land Transport continues to be a critical partner for our Electronics Recycling program; they generously donated the shipment of eleven trailers full of electronics recyclables to Anchorage during 2012.

Alaska Waste continues to provide us with a location for monthly collections at the Electronics Recycling Depot by generously donating the use of warehouse space at their Phillips Field Road location. This partnership provides space for our monthly collection activities and storage of electronics between shipments to Anchorage. In addition, they provide us with necessary equipment and labor services at reasonable rates.

Compost Bin Sales – Alaska Feed Company IAGS launched our compost bin sale program in April of 2010. Backyard composting is an easy way to turn a large portion of household waste into a valuable product. IAGS regularly provided information about composting at our outreach events throughout the year. In addition, we continue to sell the Earth Machine compost bins through a consignment partnership with Alaska Feed Company at a price of $75.

These easy-to-use compost corrals are made of 50% post-consumer recycled plastic, and are an excellent way to get into composting for people who are just starting out with this activity. A portion of the sales of these bins goes to support IAGS programs and events.

Alaska State Gaming License – Application Submitted In September, IAGS submitted an Alaska State Gaming License application with the hopes to implement a raffle fundraiser at the 2013 Tanana Valley State Fair.

3

Interior Alaska Green Star – 2012 Annual Report Special Events Recycling Program In 2012, IAGS began a small-scale pilot program to extend our services by providing various levels of recycling assistance to several special events within the community. In light of the ongoing changes to the recycling scene in Fairbanks, the importance of establishing and sustaining recycling opportunities for our community has never been more apparent.

One important component of a successful community recycling program that is largely missing in the Fairbanks area is support for recycling at special events. Interior Alaska Green Star (IAGS) has partnered with the Tanana Valley State Fair Association to run a recycling program for the annual fair every year since 2006. However, much more is needed in order to expand special event recycling opportunities beyond this single event.

Tanana Valley State Fair Recycling – August 2-11 IAGS partnered with the Tanana Valley State Fair Association (TVSF) and several local organizations to coordinate the recycling efforts for the ten full days of the Fair. K&K Recycling generously provided the collection dumpsters and hauling for the plastic and aluminum. At the end of the Fair, 1,536 pounds of aluminum and 1,024 pounds of plastic were delivered to K&K Recycling. A huge thank you goes out to our dedicated recycling volunteers who dig through trash bins to recover recyclables, carry bags of collected recyclables to the central recycling dumpster, and sort and separate all the plastic bottles and aluminum cans. We could not do this work without them.

Midnight Sun Festival – June 21 Interior Alaska Green Star and the Fairbanks Rescue Mission (FRM) partnered together to provide recycling, sorting and collection service for the 2012 Midnight Sun Festival (MSF). We were delighted to be invited to partner with the Downtown Association and the Fairbanks Rescue Mission (FRM) Recycling Center to coordinate a Recycling Program for the Festival this year. With teamwork and a great working partnership, IAGS and FRM recruited, trained, and supervised 25-30 volunteers to staff the recycling efforts during the 12-hour event. Each of these dedicated and hard-working volunteers generously gave their time walking up and down the streets of the Festival, rescuing recyclable bottles and cans from trash bins, and emptying recycling bins as needed. All recyclables were sorted and transported to the central recycling dumpster generously provided by Alaska Waste. Through these outstanding volunteer efforts, we were able to collect 102 pounds of aluminum cans and 154 pounds of plastic bottles for recycling over the course of the Festival.

Equinox Marathon (September 21) & Tour de Cure (June 9) – IAGS also provided a recycling, sorting and collection service for the 2012 Equinox Marathon and Tour de Cure events. We were delighted to be asked to provide this service and look forward to expanding the Special Events Recycling Service in 2013.

4

Interior Alaska Green Star – 2012 Annual Report Public Outreach and Education Fairbanks Recycling Guide IAGS first launched the Fairbanks Recycling Guide in August of 2011. Thanks to a generous grant from the FNSB Recycling Commission, we distributed an updated guide to approximately 14,000 recipients of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner on Sunday, February 26th, 2012. This guide provides updated information about how and where to reuse and recycle many different materials in our community. It includes charts, lists, and a map to help residents navigate the somewhat complex recycling scene in Fairbanks.

One of IAGS’s primary missions is to encourage residents and businesses in the Fairbanks North Star Borough to practice waste reduction and recycling. The Fairbanks Recycling Guide provides us with a powerful educational tool in order to continue working towards this mission. We hope that future editions of the guide will include additional topical and/or seasonal articles to help residents find ways to live more sustainably at home, school, and work.

Tanana Valley State Fair – August 2nd – 11th IAGS staff, board, and volunteers enjoyed time spent at the Tanana Valley State Fair hosting an informational booth in the Borealis Pavilion. The Tanana Valley State Fair represents the perfect opportunity for IAGS to reach out and connect with our community, so this is always an important event for our education efforts. Thanks to many hours put in by IAGS volunteers and board members, we were able to educate Fairbanks area residents on our mission, programs, and events.

5

Interior Alaska Green Star – 2012 Annual Report Informational Booths IAGS is often invited to participate in events coordinated by other local organizations. We appreciate these opportunities to share information with community members about our organization’s mission and activities – as well as the chance to meet and network with other local organizations.

In 2012, IAGS hosted informational booths at the following events: 

North Haven Communities (Fort Wainwright) – “Life 101” Education Fair – February 7th



Fairbanks Rollergirls – Roller Derby Bout – March 19th



North Haven Communities (Fort Wainwright) – Earth Day Event – April 22nd



Randy Smith Middle School – Garden Bazaar – April 23rd



GVEA Annual Meeting – Earth Day Event – April 25th



Downtown Association – Midnight Sun Festival – June 21st



Tanana Valley State Fair – August 2-11th

Community Involvement Clean Up Day – May 11th IAGS partnered with the Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce, United Way of the Tanana Valley, Boy Scouts of America Midnight Sun Boy Scout Council, & the 2013 Chamber investors to clean up trash around the community. IAGS had 15 volunteers (including 3 kids) – split into two teams to cover several areas ● First team cleaned up University Ave between Airport/Geist (and some south of Airport) ● Second team cleaned up Phillips Field Rd near Spenards and near AK Waste Recycling Center ● Good effort for our first year – we will keep working to find better spots for our cleanup team

First Friday Events In February, IAGS acquired a new office space (location: 565 University Avenue). To celebrate our relocation, IAGS hosted a First Friday Art Event and IAGS Office Open House on June 1st. The theme was “Art of the Obsolete”. The art, food, decorations, and company were all wonderful and we look forward to doing this again. IAGS also planned and executed a First Friday at the Morris Thompson Center on October 5th.

Volunteer Appreciation Party In an effort to thank our dedicated volunteers, IAGS hosted a Volunteer Appreciation Party to extend our gratitude to our organization’s hard working volunteers. The party was a success and will be instituted as an annual event.

6

Interior Alaska Green Star – 2012 Annual Report Board of Directors

Pam Seiser Alaska Biological Research, Inc.

Bill Smyth, Secretary Department of Environmental Conservation

Carol Ann Varner, Treasurer Tanana Valley League of Women Voters

Darcie Warden, President Alaska Wilderness League

David Weissman, Vice President (Through June 2012) Design Alaska, Inc. FNSB Recycling Commission

Dianne Porter (From March 2012) GVEA

7

Interior Alaska Green Star – 2012 Annual Report Volunteers Thank you to all our dedicated IAGS volunteers!

Megan Allen

Steven Frazer

Joy Morrison

Janelle Sweeney

Sharon Baker

Regina Frazer

Mary Ann Nickles

Ann Swift

Ruby Baxter Sue Beckley

Morgen Frazer Beverly Frey

PJ O'Riley Jenny Patch

Carolyn Tallant Amy Tanna

Karl Bergman

Dave Frey

Patty Pitka

Kristen Thomas

Alexander Bergman

Bryana Garcia

Dianne Porter

Carol Ann Varner

Carey Brink

Rusty Gesin

Barbara Powell

Laurie Walton

Becca Bryan

Tristan Glowa

Alfredo Quiroga

Norm Warden

John Bunten

Tiffany Green

Erika Richards

Shelly Warden

Reece Burke

Brian Grinston

Kathy Richmond

Darcie Warden

Bev Byington Barb Carlin

Rebecca Hardcastle Molly Hautman

Ian Rogan Sue Royston

Walt Weese David Weissman

Lou Catinella

Irene Holak

Brenda Sadler

Frank Williams

Deven Centner

Nancy Hummel

Gerald Sam

Marv Wilson

Taylor Centner

Jean James

Michele Scouten

David Withoff

Catherine Chandler

Edna Johanson

Tami Seekins

Betsy Woolley

Karine Chingliak

Anne Johnson

Pam Seiser

Jeff Yarman

Missy Corrigan

Doug Kenney

Robert Shields

Ayse Yeager

Katherine Culp Andrew Cyr

Leslie Kitchen Hal Kitchen

Danelle Small Jane Smith

Jayme Zeimer Kyle Ziegler

Melody Debenham

Jane LeBlond

Judy Rae Smith

Tom Zimmer

Mary Jane Derendoff

Will Lentz

Bill Smyth

Carol DeVoe Mary Dokken

Ian Ludwig Marci Lynch

Eli Sonafrank Yvette Soutierre

Justin Dunn

Margo Matthews

Amy Spairs

Art Eveland

Sue McHenry

Sue Sprinkle

Alex Everett Christy Everett

Susan McInnis Jasmin Mercer

Sebastion Stewart Oliver Stewart

Davya Flaharty

Annie Meurlott

Ashleigh Strange

Jimmy Fox

Pat Moodie

Jen Stutesman

8

Interior Alaska Green Star – 2012 Annual Report Sponsors Thank you to all our generous IAGS sponsors!

Yukon Sponsors – 20,000 and greater  FNSB Recycling Commission Kuskokwim Sponsors – $10,000 – 19,999  Air Land Transport Copper Sponsors – $7,500 – $9,999  Golden Valley Electric Association Tanana Sponsors – $5,000 – $7,499  Design Alaska Koyukuk Sponsors – $2,500 – $4,999  Alaska Waste  North Haven Teklanika Sponsors – $1,000 – $2,499  ALPAR  Interior Graphics & Printing  Sani-Can  Total Reclaim, Inc. Nenana Sponsors – $500 – $999  American Seafoods  Birchwood Homes  Downtown Association of Fairbanks  Fairbanks Gold Mining, Inc.  Fairbanks Rollergirls  Princess Cruises  Schnieder & Shillings CPAs  Tanana Valley State Fair Association  Tukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council  Usibeli Foundation  Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council

9

Interior Alaska Green Star – 2012 Annual Report Chena Sponsors – $100 to $499  ABR, Inc.  B-Line Construction  HDR Alaska, Inc.  MAC Federal Credit Union  NORTECH  North Star Children’s Dentistry  SimplexGrinnell  Sourdough Transfer  Spirit of Alaska Federal Credit Union  Tanana Valley Television  Totem Ocean Trailer Express Noyes Slough Sponsors – Up to $99  Dalton Construction  Golden North Motel of Fairbanks  Home Depot  Law Office of Rita T. Allee  Prenesti CPA

10

Interior Alaska Green Star – 2012 Annual Report 2012 Financial Statement Balance Sheet 2011 Cash, savings, and investments Land and buildings Total assets Total liabilities

Net assets or fund balances

2012 $17,662

$6,177

$0

$0

$17,662

$6,477

$221

$307

$17,441

$6,170

Statement of Activities Revenues Contributions, gifts, and similar amounts received

$39,962

Program service revenue

$42,297

Membership dues and assessments

$0

Investment income

$7

Gross profit (or loss) from sales of inventory

$0

Total Revenue

$82,266

Expenses Salaries, other compensation and employee benefits

$32,005

Professional fees and other payments to independent contractors

$5,340

Printing, publications, postage and shipping

$6,751

Office expenses

$678

Conferences/meetings

$1,789

Promotion and public awareness

$7,760

Recycling expenses

$34,341

Dues and subscriptions

$199

Insurance

$1,975

Supplies

$557

Licenses and permits

$243

Internet Expenses

$603

Total Expenses

$93,537

Assets Excess or (deficit) for the year

$(11,271)

Net assets or fund balances at beginning of year

$17,441

Net assets or fund balances at end of year

$6,170 11