Alaska

Alaska is often referred to as the “last frontier” of the United States. The largest of the United States by area, with 663,268 square miles, Alaska only has 710,231 residents, making it the fourth-smallest state in terms of population. Scale and distance shape both consumption and waste management practices in the state, with residents paying among the highest prices within the United States for commodities. Recyclables collected within the state are shipped through the Port of Tacoma for processing [Page 20]and sale, and the array of communities scattered across the state rely on landfills and incineration, depending on the size and remoteness of the settlement. Unique characteristics of Alaska include its marketing to outsiders, which has billed it as the “vacation of a lifetime.” The influx of tourists, particularly to southeast Alaska during the summer season, presents challenges of waste management. Similarly, the resources available in Alaska, particularly oil and gas, continue to be central to key questions of climate change, science, public policy, consumption, and international affairs. The arctic and subarctic environments of Alaska present several challenges in terms of consumption, waste collection, and disposal.

While Alaska has a low population per square mile, the remoteness of many areas, including the state capital, presents limited options for local disposal of waste. In terms of consumption, Alaska is a state of ironies where, although there are many natural resources available and a tradition of independent living, there is heavy reliance upon outside sources of consumptive goods. This irony is perhaps no greater than in the context of fossil fuels, including the iconic Alaska pipeline and the controversial utilization of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The isolation of Alaska brings with it high costs of gasoline and heating oil. This discrepancy is particularly marked between rural and urban areas of Alaska.

The higher price of oil in Alaska has contributed to increased prices in store-bought foods. Alaskans boast the highest consumption of subsistence resources in the United States. Subsistence resources utilization is much higher in rural than urban areas. There is, at the same time, a heavy dependence on imported foods. It is estimated that 95 percent of the food consumed by Alaskans, on average, comes from outside the state. Although urban Alaska residents pay a premium in relation to the “lower 48,” the price in rural areas can be two or even three times the cost of goods in the “lower 48.”