In-Person Pilot 2 Meeting

February 1st, 2020

In February of 2020, the Backhaul Alaska Pilot 2 communities were able meet in person during the annual Alaska Forum on the Environment Conference. Coordinators from 15 Pilot 2 communities participated in the meeting along with their Regional Coordinators.  Communities and their Regional coordinators broke out into regional groups to develop work plans and identify […]

In-Person Regional Coordinator Meeting

November 1st, 2019

Regional Coordinators are the backbone of the Backhaul Alaska Program. These coordinators work directly with Program communities, providing guidance, on-site assistance, and troubleshooting issues as they arise. Further, the Regional Coordinators deliver valuable feedback, allowing for the Program to refine its practices and continually improve to better serve local backhaul programs. In November of 2019, […]

Final Pilot 1 Shipments Arrive in Seattle

Pilot 1 backhaul shipments wrapped up in November 2019 when shipments from the final two Pilot 1 communities Golovin and Unalakleet were received by recycling vendors in Seattle, WA. Both communities received onsite assistance by Backhaul Alaska Regional Coordinator, Vanessa Tahbone (Environmental Coordinator at Kawerak Inc.) to help prepare the shipments. Upon arrival, one of […]

Waste Management Hired as Pilot Control Tower

October 1st, 2019

In late fall of 2019, Waste Management was selected by the Backhaul Alaska Program to manage the shipping logistics for the Program’s Pilot 2 phase. In performing the “Control Tower” role, Waste Management will use their expertise to assist the Program with shipping and recycling materials in a more efficient and economic manner. Stephanie Mason, […]

Backhaul Training for Pilot 2 Communities with Staff Turnover

September 1st, 2019

In September of 2019, Zender Environmental conducted a weeklong Backhaul Training in Anchorage, AK, funded by USDA. This free training was open to all rural Alaska communities, but also acted as a “make-up” training for Backhaul Alaska’s Pilot 2 communities that needed it. Pilot 2 village coordinators from Hooper Bay, Kwigillingok, Shaktoolik, Ugashik, and Wainwright […]

Memorandum of Understanding Signed with the Responsible Battery Coalition

May 21st, 2019

After several months of meetings, the Solid Waste Alaska Taskforce, which oversees Backhaul Alaska, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Responsible Battery Coalition (RBC). The RBC is a coalition of companies, academics and organizations committed to the responsible battery management. The MOU formalizes a partnership between the two organizations to collaborate in their […]

Pilot 2 Uniform Backhaul Curriculum Training

May 20th, 2019

The 5-day Backhaul Alaska Uniform Training was held in Anchorage May 20 – 24th with 35 participants from 16 communities, plus regional Coordinators from Nome, Dillingham, Kodiak, and Fairbanks. Trainees were concurrently enrolled in three University of Alaska, Fairbanks courses for a total of 3 class credits. Together, these classes cover the full curriculum developed […]