Waste Management - Alaska

Alaska disposes of their waste through: 

ARL = Anchorage (Alaska) Regional Landfill  

CTS = Central Transfer Station

Different Materials and how they can be disposed can be found here

They also have a Hazardous Materials Management

Solid waste disposal presents a challenge for Alaska. Alaska has a population of approximately 710,231 people. 72% of this population live in Anchorage, Juneau, or Fairbanks. The other 28% are scattered throughout the state in rural communities. Many of these communities are only accessible by boat or air travel which means that they have their own landfill since it would not be practical to ship their waste. They "accomadate to the multiple rural community landfills by designating a Class III landfill category. Class III landfills are not connected by road to a larger landfill or are more than 50 miles by road from a larger landfill and must serve fewer than 1500 people." 

Although this is the case, a 2008 article/journal brings attention that circumstances unique to Alaska create challenges for basic waste disposal and recycling that are not experienced in the lower 48 US states or in countries like Japan where space is limited. Programs available to separating recyclables from waste stream are often minimal and varying. 

More disposal facts

Another problem that ensues are the Alaskan Native villages from rural areas that face illegal dumping issues. They struggle to find cost effective and safe alternative to open dumps.

To improve their waste management strategies, I believe they must have viable solid waste disposal options to ensure Alaskan tribe's and village's waste ends up in landfill or municipal solid waste incinerator and not an open dump.  This information and knowledge needs to also be promoted through community outreach to properly ensure that residents, villagers, and tribes are informed of the environmental issues they face by not properly disposing of waste. Problems of disposing food may cause wild animals to rummage through their waste.  Alaska tries to prevent this by encouraging to use and even create your own incinerator for your garbage that you can have in your backyard. I think this one is important as it will harm wildife less.