The Backhaul Project collects over 230,000 pounds of e-waste in 2023 for safe disposal.
For the sixth consecutive year, Donlin Gold partnered with Delta Backhaul Company, tribal entities and in-region community organizations to assist the Yukon-Kuskokwim region in disposing of electronic waste to keep communities safe and healthy. Increasing every year, the estimated total waste collected in 2023 reached nearly 235,000 pounds — 100,000 more than last year.
“The project is about being a good neighbor and taking care of each other. We are committed to ensuring sustainability and prosperity in the region. Being a good steward extends beyond the project site to include the surrounding region and the people connected to the land. Every year, we accomplish more, which means that we can be a good neighbor to even more people,” Donlin Gold Community Relations Coordinator Colleen Laraux said.
The Backhaul Project hosted a collection event in Bethel on Aug. 30, gathering approximately 12,500 pounds of electronic waste. Materials collected, which are typically unfit for rural landfills, included televisions, computers, batteries, used oil and more. Improper disposal of these can lead to water contamination through contact with precipitation. After collection, the collected materials are packaged and barged to Anchorage for disposal or recycling. Some materials are then shipped to Seattle for further recycling.
“The success of a fish camp/remote site Backhaul Project in the Middle Kuskokwim was an unknown until we tried it, but now I have no doubt about the value of such efforts based on the volume of materials we collected and safely removed,” said Dan Gillikin, environmental director for the Native Village of Napaimute.
In addition to the Backhaul collection event in Bethel, partners took on three additional collection opportunities this year: a fish camp cleanup, Yukon River household hazardous waste backhaul, and Kuskokwim appliance backhaul. In collaboration with the Native Village of Napaimute, the fish camp cleanup project collected four, 20-foot containers of unwanted materials from nearby fish camps. Between three Yukon River villages — Marshall, Pilot Station and Pitkas Point — 17,200 pounds of e-waste, fluorescent light bulbs and batteries were retrieved. Along the Kuskokwim River, the program received 449 appliances, equal to 103,550 pounds, from Tuntutuliak, Napakiak, Napaskiak, Kwethluk and Akiachak.
Donlin Gold would like to thank the 2023 partners and sponsors who played a valuable role in making the Backhaul Project another success: Native Village of Napaimute Delta Backhaul Company, Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP), City of Bethel, Ryan Air, Grant Aviation, Fox Air, Alaska Commercial, Central Recycling Services and tribal administrators.
