Fairbanks Waste Reduction Week 2024
What is it?
The first annual Fairbanks Waste Reduction Week is an initiative organized by Compost FBX and Green Star of Interior Alaska to promote the idea of sustainable living and waste reduction in Fairbanks and connect the community with the existing resources that can help them reduce waste in their daily lives.
For example, many Fairbanks residents are unaware that recycling operations resumed or what exactly the Central Recycling Facility accepts. Fairbanks Waste Reduction Week aims to ensure everyone in the community who wishes to reduce their waste or live more sustainably has the knowledge and resources to achieve that goal.
Schedule of Events
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This is the first year of “Fairbanks Waste Reduction Week” and we want to make sure everyone in town knows how they can get involved. Help us spread the word throughout the Fairbanks community! Post flyers, share our posts on social media, tell your friends and family, or share our information any other way you can! We appreciate it.
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Green Star of Interior Alaska and Compost FBX at the Fairbanks Soil and Water Conservation District are planning this initiative and will fund as much as we can. However, we are both non-profit organization and we would appreciate any donations to support the costs of promoting and hosting the final event. If you think you could sponsor the event with monetary or in-kind donations, let us know and we would be happy to discuss options with you.
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“Fairbanks Waste Reduction Week” will run from March 4th-9th in 2024. Monday (March 4th) - Friday (March 8th) will feature a variety of events and activities happening around town to promote waste reduction in some way. These include a “Reuseables Drive” at the Children’s Museum, an art sale at the Northern Environmental Center, an open house at the Chena Tool Library, a tour of the Central Recycling Facility, and more. The Sustainable Living Expo is on Saturday March 9th from 12-5 at the J.P. Jones Center.
We are still looking for groups willing to host events throughout the week. All events are free and open to the public. Reach out to compostfbx@gmail.com if you’re interested in participaing!
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The Sustainable Living Expo is on Saturday March 9th from 12-5 at the JP Jones Center. The expo will feature presentations, family-friendly activities from the Fairbanks Children’s Museum, and outreach tables from local groups/businesses/organizations that offer goods or services that help the community live sustainably and reduce their waste. Groups tabling include the Tanana Valley Watershed Association, the Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition, GLASSRoots Alaska, and more. If you are interested in tabling, presenting, hosting an activity, or providing some event planning suggestions let us know!
Kid’s Poster Contest
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Virtual Composting Workshop with Compost FBX
6pm - 8pm, Zoom
Join us for a free virtual workshop on the basics of composting in Fairbanks. We will talk about traditional and alternative forms of composting and creative ways to reduce the waste stream in your household. This event is free and open to the public, no sign-up required. Rather attend in person? We have an in-person version on Tuesday March 5th. Click the drop down below to learn more.
Questions? Email compostfbx.com
Click the link below to join the Zoom workshop!
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Tour of Green Star of Interior Alaska’s Warehouse and ReuseIT store
12pm - 2pm, Green Star (2134 Texaco Ave.)
Join Green Star of Interior Alaska is a local nonprofit serving the Fairbanks North Star Borough. Our programs encourage reuse of materials, reduction of unnecessary waste, and increasing recycling efforts in our community. Stop by to check out their electronics recycling warehouse and the refurbished electronics store, ReuseIT.
Click here to view iagreenstar.org
In-Person Composting Workshop with Compost FBX
6pm - 8pm, Fairbanks Community Food Bank Volunteer Clubhouse (2216 S Cushman St.)
Join us for a free workshop on the basics of composting in Fairbanks. We will talk about traditional and alternative forms of composting and creative ways to reduce the waste stream in your household. This event is free and open to the public, no sign-up required. Rather attend online? We have a virtual workshop on Monday March 4th. Click the drop down above to learn more.
Questions? Email compostfbx.com
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Open house at the Chena Tool Library
5pm - 7pm, Chena Tool Library (1917 Lillian St.)
The Chena Tool Library is an affordable, membership-based tool rental service. It’s a place for community members to share resources, learn from each other, and check out tools for their own projects. Stop by the tool library to check out their inventory and connect with the amazing folks who run this organization. Snacks and refreshments will be proivided.
Click the link to learn more about the Chena Tool Library
The Great Alaskan Bowl Company: Tree to Bowl Conversations
12pm - 1pm, The Great Alaskan Bowl Company (4630 Old Airport Rd)
Stop by the Great Alaskan Bowl Company to see Andrea between 12:00 and 1:00. She will be available to chat about the process from tree to bowl and all of the waste reduction and recycling which helped them earn their Adventure Green Alaska certification.
Click here to learn more about the Great Alaskan Bowl Company
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Art sale and Open House at the Northern Environmental Center
11am - 2pm, Northern Environmental Center (830 College Rd)
The Northern Environmental Center is an education and advocacy based conservation and natural resource stewardship group.
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Tours of the Central Recycling Facility
Half hour long tours 10am - 4pm, Central Recycling Facility (1855 Marika Rd)
Ever wondered where to take your recycling? Or what happens once you drop it off? Come by for an hour long tour of the Central Recycling Facility to get all your questions answered!
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Sustainable Living Expo
12pm - 5pm, JP Jones Center (2400 Rickert St.)
Fairbanks Waste Reduction Week culminates with the Sustainable Living Expo. The expo features children’s activities, outreach tables, prizes, presentations, and waste diversion collections.
The Fairbanks Children’s Museum is hosting some crafts and activities showcasing ways to reuse recycled materials. The winners of the Kid’s Poster Contest will have their art on display as well.
A variety of local groups, businesses, and organizations that have provide a good or service aimed to help Fairbanks residents reduce waste or live sustainably wil have outreach tables set up to connect with the community. Groups in attendance will include the Fairbanks Soil and Water Conservation District, Tanana Valley Watershed Association, Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition, GLASSRoots Alaska, WeGenerative, New Creations 907, Better for the Planet, and others.
Prizes will be raffled off and awarded to folks who bring the most waste to divert, attend the most events throughout the week, etc. Some of these prizes will include t-shirts, gift cards, a composter, and more.
There will be presentations from groups including the Fairbanks North Star Borough on Air Quality at 12:30 pm, Access Alaska on their Durable Medical Equipment Loan Program at 1:30 pm, ant the Central Recycling Facility on “How to Recycle” at 2:30.
It wouldn’t be Waste Reduction Week without a little waste diversion. We are collecting food fit for human consumption for the Fairbanks Community Food Bank, gently used clothing for the Fairbanks Resource Agency, frozen meat not fit for human consumption (ex. hunted or wild caught with no nutrition label or expiration date, freezer burned) for sled dogs, and coffee grounds to compost. There will also be a WORKING electronics swap and a glass swap.
Meg’s Eats and Treats will be there serving up delicious food along with a Bake Sale for anyone who gets hungry.
Stop by any time between 12pm and 5 pm to see what waste reduction and sustainability resources the Fairbanks Community has!
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Reuseables Drive at the Fairbanks Children’s Museum
March 5th-9th (10 am - 5pm), Fairbanks Children’s Museum (302 S Cushman St, Suite 101)
The Fairbanks Children’s Museum is collecting reusables during their operating hours to celebrate Fairbanks Waste Reduction Week. Stop by the museum with your old egg cartons, bottle caps, toilet paper rolls, clean plastic bottles, paper envelopes, beads, buttons, smooth edge soup cans, and sanded wood scraps. Come see them at the Sustainable Living Expo on Saturday March 9th from 12pm-5pm to see how these items can turn into fun crafts and activities.
Community Waste Audit from Compost FBX
March 4th-9th (or anytime you feel like it), compostfbx.com
Fairbanks Waste Reduction Week is a great time to reevaluate your home waste stream. What do you throw away frequently that you could replace with a reusable option? Do you throw away things you could recycle? How can you creatively reuse an item that has already served its original purpose? Click the link below to do our Community Waste Audit activity with your friends, family, roommates, or yourself. Bring your completed copy (or a photo of it) to the Sustainable Living Expo for a chance to win some prizes.
Submissions so Far
Get Involved
Do you have an elementary aged child? Have them participate in the Fairbanks Waste Reduction Week Poster Contest! Click the button below to download the worksheet and have your child illustrate what “waste reduction in Fairbanks” means to them. It can be compost, recycling, reducing single use items, donating gently used items, fixing something when it’s broken, or anything else they can think of. This can be a great way to have a conversation with your child about reducing your household’s waste stream.
Once they’re finished with their design, scan a copy or take a photo and email it to compostfbx@gmail.com or drop off a physical copy at the Fairbanks Children’s Museum. Winners will have their designs featured on flyers advertising our events around town and enlarged and proudly displayed at the Sustainable Living Expo on March 9th. At the end of the event the winners can take home a prize and their artwork. Artwork due by Feb 15.
Waste Collections and Swaps (at the Sustainable Living Expo)
We couldn’t host these one day waste collections and swaps without the amazing organizations that collect these items every day. If you can’t make it to the Sustainable Living Expo (and even if you can), stop by these organizations another time to divert your waste from the landfill.
Meet the Organizations
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Fairbanks Community Food Bank
FOOD WASTE FIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION
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Fairbanks Resource Agency (Closet Collections)
GENTLY USED FABRICS AND CLOTHES
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GLASSroots Alaska
GLASS BOTTLES
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ReUse IT at Green Star of Interior Alaska
WORKING ELECTRONICS
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Compost FBX
COFFEE GROUNDS (AND OTHER FOOD SCRAPS IN THE SUMMER)
You’re Already on Our Website
Questions about FWRW?
Fill out this contact form (or just send us an email at compostfbx@gmail.com) and we' will happily answer your questions.