Solid Waste Solutions in Rural Alaska::
Additional Success Stories from Rural Alaska:

Yupiit of Andreafski Tribal Government

Contact:
   Serena Alstrom
   907/438-2329
   alstrom_epadirector@hotmail.com

The City of St. Mary's developed an ordinance for solid waste collection. A fee of $66.00 per month is billed to each household for trash, water, and sewer services. The portion for the trash collection fee is $10.00. This does not include businesses in St.Mary's; such as, the St. Mary's School District, local stores, etc. The businesses are charged a different rate. The City of St. Mary's also owns their own heavy equipment, which is used to cover the landfill once a week/month or when needed. The landfill land is leased from Pitka's Point Native Corporation to the City of St. Mary's and is located six miles from both St. Mary's and Pitka's Point.

Yupiit of Andreafski Tribal Government has coordinated the spring clean-up, which was developed from the AmeriCorp program in 1992. Since then they have applied for funding through the Alaskans for Litter Prevention and Recycling (ALPAR). The community redefined the way spring cleanup was operated by making it a forward thinking project that the youth could make money from. The difference here that is worthy of sustainable recognition is that they noticed that the kids would not pick up litter the rest of the year, thinking of the money that they could make by picking up the bags in Spring (i.e. a pay per bag system). The IGAP department started talking with the kids and changed the way they did the cleanup.

Presentations were made at school and during the clean-ups on solid waste and littering. "The fewer litter they create in the community, the fewer days we pick trash, the same cool prizes awarded." The youth were told they can either pick 40 bags to get a bike or they can pick 10 bags to get a bike; which would they rather do? We have noticed the changes. The 2006 Spring Clean-up the top picker netted 15 bags and received a new bike compared to 2002 Spring Clean-up there the top picker netted 42 bags. There is a difference and we are getting through to the youth!