Recycling, Alaska Style!

I have always been a recycler, even as a child. At the cabin we picked up trash, and once aluminum cans could be recycled, I was on board. The fact that recycling has become a part of many people's every day lives shows how far we have come.

That being said, being in Chena Hot Springs gave me a glimpse at the next level of recycling. The man who purchased the resort in the early 2000's owns a recycling plant in Anchorage, and he was determined to bring his passion to Chena Hot Springs. First, he found a way to recycle different items to harness the heat in the geothermal system to provide electricity for the complex. His next plan there is to make enough electricity to sell to others in Alaska.

When we visited the greenhouse, we learned a very unique way to recycle traffic signs. Yes, traffic signs - the ones pedestrians look at to see whether it is safe to cross the street . . . or not. Chena Hot Springs has its own greenhouse that is heated geothermally, and the lighting for growing the plants comes from LED lights - just like those on Christmas trees. They were experimenting with other LED lights, which is where the traffic lights come in. Someone has excessed the traffic lights and they came into the recycling center. The Chena Hot Springs people decided to see if they could be used as grow lights for their herbs. Witness how well the plants grow:

We need more people with this kind of vision, who can take old items and turn them into a new useful purpose! Kudos to the owner of Chena Hot Springs . . . he is doing just that!