ABOUT THE PROJECT: WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?
A new Central Transfer Station will better serve you
Anchorage needs a new Central Transfer Station. Our current facility is 40 years old and no longer works well for our community. With an entirely different set of needs and opportunities facing us today than when the original facility was designed and built, the best, most cost effective option for addressing the many deficiencies with our current facility is to build a new one.
The 2018 Integrated Solid Waste Master Plan identified the need for a new Central Transfer Station facility. A follow up to the Master Plan was a site selection study for the new facility, after which a site was selected and approved by the Municipal Planning and Zoning Commission as well as the Anchorage Assembly. The image above shows the layout of the existing and new Central Transfer Station facilities, located at 1130 E 56th Ave, Anchorage, AK 99518 .
A new transfer station will replace the current facilities which are deteriorating, outdated and provide inadequate levels of service due to long wait times, safety concerns and lack of recycling opportunities. Repairs of the current transfer station would mean long, expensive, multi-year closures. Those would cause disruption and additional costs for private haulers that would ultimately be paid for by residents.
Building a new transfer station allows Solid Waste Services (SWS) to continue operations with minimal impact to customers. It also improves safety and reduces wait times for all users. A new facility will also provide additional recycling and waste diversion options that save residents money in the long-term by extending the life of the Anchorage Regional Landfill.
The new facility will reduce smells and litter by being enclosed. It will improve the overall aesthetics of the neighborhood with thoughtful design. It will improve education in the community by allowing opportunities to share information about trash and recycling. The new facility will allow SWS to be good, thoughtful, responsive neighbors who care about something that we all interact with every day (trash!).