Backhaul Project Removes E-waste from Donlin Gold Neighbor Villages
Electronic and hazardous waste poses long-term problems for village landfills. The Backhaul Project helps free up landfill space and keep communities healthy.
Photo Credit: Donlin Gold
For the seventh consecutive year, Donlin Gold partnered with Delta Backhaul Company, tribal entities, and community organizations in the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) Delta region to aid in the proper disposal of appliances and hazardous household electronic waste. The annual “In It for the Long Haul” backhaul project removed an estimated 141,838 pounds of household electronic waste.
Six Communities Unload Waste
Thanks to improvements in the appliance crushing process, this year’s project maximized capacity limits over previous years.
Since its inception in 2018, the Backhaul Project has cumulatively collected more than 803,265 pounds of hazardous material from the Y-K Delta. Items include unwanted large appliances, old electronics, vehicle batteries, household chemicals, old paint, used oil, and more. This year’s collection includes materials from a fish camp clean up, appliance backhauls, flown-in village materials, and the Bethel backhaul event.
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January 2025
With transportation provided by the Native Village of Napaimute’s barge, the Backhaul Project visited six communities in the region, including Upper Kalskag, Lower Kalskag, Tuluksak, Akiachak, Napakiak, and Nunapitchuk. Villages unable to have items picked up by barge fly their e-waste items to Bethel through airline partners Fox Air, Grant Aviation, and Ryan Air, with coordination efforts by the Association of Village Council Presidents. Bethel residents also dropped off household e-waste and other hazardous materials to have them safely barged to Anchorage or Seattle for final recycling.
Six Yukon-Kuskokwim villages took part in the Backhaul Project, collecting more than 141,000 pounds of waste.
Photo Credit: Donlin Gold
“Everything comes into our region and nothing leaves,” says Mark Leary, director of development and operations for the Native Village of Napaimute. “We are watching our communities slowly fill up with junk. Through the appliance backhaul, I could see that this program is truly making a difference in our region.”
The Backhaul Project is a community effort sponsored by Donlin Gold while the mine’s lead developer, NovaGold Resources, navigates federal permitting.
“In It for the Long Haul” Backhaul Project collected appliances, electronic waste, and other types of hazardous waste and shipped it to Anchorage or Seattle for recycling.
Photo Credit: Donlin Gold
“We are committed to supporting the health and well-being of the Y-K Delta communities,” says Rebecca Wilmarth, community relations supervisor for Donlin Gold. “The Backhaul Project showcases the strength of local partnerships and the dedication of everyone involved to improve the environmental wellbeing of the region. This collaborative effort reflects our ongoing commitment to the health and safety of the region, and we are thankful for the contributions from all who make this project a success year after year.”
Other partners in the Backhaul Project include Delta Backhaul Company, Alaska Commercial Company, and the Indian Environmental General Assistance Program.
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