Recycling in Sitka?

Here is a quick guide for recycling in Sitka and how you can recycle household recyclables at the Sitka Recycling Center on Sawmill Creek Road.
Click Here for a list of where and how to recycle most anything in Sitka.

Here are the many places around town to recycle!
- Sitka Landfill 747-4041, Grantite Creek Road
  - Open by appointment only
  - Asbestos, asphalt, boats, concrete & construction debris
- Sawmill Cove Scrap Yard 747-0549, 4830 Sawmill Creek Road
  - Open Tuesday - Saturday, 8 o'clock a.m. to 4 o'clock p.m.
  - Aluminum, cars, copper, freezers, refrigerators, steel, tires, paint
- Transfer Station 747-8644, 205 Jarvis St.
  - Open Monday - Saturday, 8 o'clock a.m. to 4 o'clock p.m.
  - Residential 200 lbs a month - free to residential customers
  - Construction debris $0.06 per pound ($123.00 a ton)
  - Carpet, fiberglass, foam, furniture, construction debris, paper, plastic, wood, tires ($25 each), televisions.
- Granite Creek Waste Area 747-5959
  - Open Monday - Saturday 7 o'clock a.m. to 7 o'clock p.m.
  - $3.00 per cubic yard
  - Brush, stumps, overburden, green waste, tree limbs
- Sitka Recycling Center 747-8670, Corner of Jeff Davis and Sawmill Creek Road
  - Cardboard, paper, glass, metal cans, aluminum, milk jugs, shredded paper, fluorescent tubes ($0.50 fee)

How can I Recycle...

Used motor oil: Each harbor in town has a green container specifically to store used motor oil.
Plastic grocery bags: Return them to the Grocery store, donate to thrift stores, or the library.
Car batteries: Napa Auto Parts (747-6659) and Car Quest (747-3238).
Fluorescent tubes: Used and unbroken, Saturdays from 12:00 p.m.- 1:00 p.m. at the Recycling Center. There is a .50 cent fee for each bulb accepted at the center. Businesses who have large numbers of bulbs should call 747-8670 to arrange for pick-up. Please do not drop off bulbs at any other time.
Batteries: Dry cell batteries at local grocery stores, True Value, Spenards, City Hall, and Harry Race.

What is Household Hazardous Waste?

Hazardous Waste is leftover household products that contain corrosive, toxic, ignitable, or reactive ingredients are considered to be household hazardous waste (HHW). Products, such as paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, and pesticides, that contain potentially hazardous ingredients require special care when you dispose of them. These can include, cleaners, solvents, paint thinners, oils, antifreeze, pesticides, and automotive products. If you have questions about whether something is hazardous, please call Public Works at 907-747-1806.

Sitka has two Hazardous Waste Collection events every year, one in the spring and one in the fall. The upcoming event will be in Spring 2013. So save your hazardous waste! Do not just dump it out or throw it away.

Here are some links about Hazardous Waste

Environmental Protection Agency - Household Hazardous Waste

Department of Environmental Conservation - Household Hazardous Waste

Plastic Recycling at the City

Do you have questions about plastic recycling? A great link to read is Smart Plastics Guide by the Public Broadcasting System (PBS).

RecycleSITKA has expanded our capability to recycle plastics in Sitka. In addition to #2 cloudy plastic (which is milk jugs and some gallon water containers) we now collect and recycle #2 colored plastic and all #1 plastics. You can identify the type of plastic because there is a symbol, which is usually on the bottom of the container. There are three containers at the Recycling Center that hold each of the different plastics.

To Ready the plastics for Recycling

Rinse clean - You do not need to scrub every can and bottle - just clean out any residue.
Remove all lids or tops.
Flatten any #2 cloudy milk jugs.
It is not necessary to remove labels.
If you cannot identify the number please discard the plastic to avoid contamination.

Tips for Readying Items for Recycling

PEANUT BUTTER JARS: A tip for cleaning peanut butter jars - fill the jar up and let it soak overnight, then the next day pour half of the water out, replace the lid and shake it vigorously. This will clean the softened peanut butter out.
PLASTIC SOAP CONTAINERS: Containers that held shampoo or laundry soap should be filled halfway and shaken. Then pour this out and refill the bottle all the way so water pushes excess foam out.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT: Large detergent bottles can be recycled also. You can pour a bit of water in, replace the lid and shake. Then you can use this water to wash another load of clothes!
PIZZA BOX DILEMMA: Do you or don't you recycle pizza boxes? The golden rule for pizza boxes is if there is a grease stain bigger than a half dollar - Throw it away! Same goes if there is any cheese or toppings stuck to the box... throw it away. Otherwise it will contaminate the cardboard recycling.

Recycling Growth

	1st Quarter 2004 (in tons)	4th Quarter 2009 (in tons)	1st Quarter 2011 (in tons)

Cardboard	34.8	78.4	92.2
Glass	20.4	21.2	48.2
Mixed Paper	36.4	53.8	45.6
Newspaper	7.9	7.3	4.1
Tin Cans	2.6	3.5	2.6
Total	102.3	154.2	192.70

Get Connected!

YouTube channels about recycling
- 1-800-Recycling This is fun question-and-answer videos with the YouTube host giving great information.
- Steve Trash Network These are videos about trash and recycling for children where magic is sometimes used to hit the point home!
Websites
- ecogeek.org
- earth911.org

Public Works Department Home

Bids and RFPs

RecycleSITKA

Tom Young Cabin