Valley gets bulb recycling system

January 1, 1970

The ACA also donated a Bulb Eater® to Haines Friends of Recycling. Haines residents can drop off spent bulbs at the recycling center off Small Tracts Road. From left to right: John Binkley, Haines Borough Mayor Fred Shields, Marilyn Gunn, Director of Friends of Haines Recycling.

The Alaska Cruise Association teamed up with Valley Community for Recycling Solutions and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough to donate a fluorescent bulb recycling system called "Bulb Eaters®."

"This system is a win-win for the health and safety of the Valley," said Mollie Boyer, Executive Director, Valley Community for Recycling Solutions. "Spent bulbs now end up in the landfill because we have no way to safely recycle them."

"This is a good example of how the cruise industry can share its cutting-edge technology with Alaskans," said Borough Mayor Curt Menard.

The Borough will maintain the Bulb Eater^® and house it at the Central Landfill, 1201 N. 49th. Residents will be able to drop off used fluorescent bulbs from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Saturday. There is no charge for the service.

The Bulb Eater^®, manufactured by Air Cycle Corporation of Illinois, is a machine that crushes spent fluorescent lamps into small fragments. The crushed glass is compacted into a 55-gallon drum for safe disposal. The machine offers better storage of lamps, easier handling, is safer for people and the environment and it reduces recycling costs.

The Alaska Cruise Association plans to donate Bulb Eaters^® to communities throughout Alaska. Seward received one last fall.