Haines Friends of Recyling

In many communities, recycling and waste management are handled by the municipal government. Haines has a different and unique situation. Recycling is handled by Haines Friends of Recycling (HFR), a 501(c)(3) non-profit with one part-time employee and a group of unpaid and dedicated volunteers.The Recycle Center’s current operation on Small Tracts Road includes the collection, processing, storing and shipping of an average of 250,000 lbs. of recyclables per year. HFR also provides numerous opportunities throughout the year for public education to promote recycling and share strategies to reduce the waste stream that enters the landfill. Which items can be recycled depends on what the recycling market will buy. All the recyclables are sorted when collected, then stockpiled until there is enough to ship south to the larger markets.HFR is in the process of moving to a new location and offering new plastic up-cycling opportunities. In the new building, new products such as plastic lumber, benches, and planting pots will be produced from plastics that we collect and recycle locally. This will be the first time HFR is able to recycle or up-cycle locally.