The Petersburg Indian Association has been working hard to expand its recycling program and has unveiled a few new services recently.
PIA Tribal Resource Director Jason Wilson has implemented new programs beginning with recycling services for big events.
“We started this service during Mayfest,” Wilson stated. “We will offer it again for the July 4th event as well as any event in the community.”
For this service, anyone planning events in the community such as weddings, reunions, dances, etc. will be able to call PIA and order bins to be placed on site to increase the recycling ability of the community.
“These bins will be made available for any event free of charge,” Wilson said. “They can be picked up at PIA and dropped off after the event has taken place.”
During Mayfest there were two of these bins in the area of the food court and six other bins scattered around for use throughout the area.
“We ended up with four of these bins completely full,” Wilson stated. “That is four 50 pound bins worth of recyclable material.”
According to Wilson, PIA is working to make the program easy and free for the community of Petersburg.
A new net recycling program has also been implemented in order to help fishermen get rid of old nets instead of taking them to the dump.
“Currently, the only way to dispose of these nets is to take them to the dump and a charge is levied per pound,” Wilson said. “We are now offering this service free to fishermen to bring their seine and gill nets to PIA and they will be recycled.”
PIA asks that all cork and lead line be removed from the net before leaving them at the facility.
Wilson also stated that PIA is trying to make recycling easy and affordable for everyone.
“We also have a lead acid battery program,” Wilson stated. “All types of batteries will be accepted for recycling purposes at PIA.”
Wilson also stated that if anyone has any old batteries in their yards that are too heavy to be brought to the facility, someone will pick them up.
“We are picking up all of the batteries and working with Kake in this project,” Wilson said. “We are hoping to add Wrangell in this program as well.”
PIA will gather the old batteries from all three communities and package and ship them from here.
The last portion of this new program involves indoor air quality.
“In Alaska, in general, people spend the majority of their time inside, especially in the winter months,” Wilson said. “It is cold and rainy and between wood stoves and the airtight weatherization of many of the homes the circulation is limited.”
Wilson will host two informational seminars to inform the community of ways to increase the quality of air in their homes in the PIA conference room at the end of July and possibly August. Dates have not been settled at this time, but when the schedule is complete, PIA will notify the community of the availability of these seminars.
“Indoor air is very important for this area,” Wilson stated. “Poor ventilation of someone’s heating element and anything that burns causes pollutants in the air.”
Contact Jason Wilson at 772-3636 to inquire about any of these programs or to order
recycling bins for an event.
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