A recycling company founded by a former Alaska fisherman has begun accepting plastic waste that wasn’t previously accepted for recycling in Anchorage. Patrick Simpson, owner of Alaska Plastic Recovery, turns the trash into plastic lumber that can be used like wood for building outdoor products.
The Grizzly Wood, as Simpson calls the plastic 2x4s and other beams, lasts far longer than wood, he said. It’s just starting to be used in Alaska for decks, boardwalks, picnic tables, fence posts and other items. It’s similar to Trex composite decking, a well-known national brand which is also created with recycled products, he said.
He recently opened a drop-off point outside the city’s old trash disposal site in Midtown Anchorage, off 56th Avenue and the Old Seward Highway. Alaska Plastic Recovery is accepting plastic clamshell containers, such as fruit cartons. Those haven’t been collected for recycling in Anchorage since 2019, after a decision by China to stop importing solid waste upended the global recycling industry.