Ready, set, recycle

PALMER — Framed by giant bales of recycled plastics, aluminum and paper, about 200 Valley residents helped christen the new “green” recycling center near the Mat-Su Borough landfill during its opening celebration Thursday afternoon.

Borough officials, state lawmakers, local dignitaries and industry representatives were on hand to help Valley Community for Recycling Solutions Executive Director Mollie Boyer cut the ribbon made of recycled plastics to officially kick off one of the most impressive recycling facilities in the country.

“Recycling rates in Alaska have been historically low,” Pete Grogan, a development manager at International Paper Inc., told the crowd atop a stage made of recycled materials and adorned with “flowers” made from recycled plastics. “This facility will dramatically increase recycling in Alaska.”

Grogan was asked to speak at the ceremony because his company works in partnership with VCRS to handle a large portion of the paper processed at the center for recycling.

Grogan, who has worked for the recycling cause since helping found Ecocycle in Colorado in 1975, said paper can be recycled seven times. He said 63 percent of all the paper in the United States was recycled in 2009, which amounted to 50 million tons of paper.

“Oftentimes you hear that recycling doesn’t work because there isn’t a market for it, but that has changed dramatically in the last decade,” Grogan said. “There’s a significant demand for recycled materials now.”

Much of the demand comes from Asia, where most of VCRS materials end up to later become new products that are eventually shipped back to American consumers.

Grogan said it should now be up to VCRS and the Valley community to make sure there is 100 percent participation in the recycling effort here.

“Once that is in place, you will have a major success,” he said.

Grogan was only one of several speakers at the event. All spoke of how impressed they were by Boyer and her crew who made the $3.5 million, 23,600-square-foot facility a reality after nine years of hard work.

Mat-Su College Director Talis Colberg used his trademark humor to provide kudos to Boyer and tease her a bit about her ability to raise $7 million for the project.

“Molly is clearly a rainmaker,” Colberg said. “She has that speech she’s perfected over and over and over. You know the one.”

What was the most impressive, he said, was her ability to make hay out of a vague, one-page agreement between Mat-Su College and VCRS that, in reality, doesn’t commit the college to anything concrete.

“Wow, Molly!” Colberg concluded, with echoes of laugher bouncing off the center’s Mono-Therm-insulated walls. “I predict the college will remain physically close to the recycling center and that the moon will continue to shine on your endeavors.”

Contact K.T. McKee at kate.mckee@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.