Last weekend’s scrap metal drive at Haines Friends of Recycling was “a huge success,” said Melissa Aronson, HFR chair.
“We had a tremendous volunteer crew that showed up and helped,” Aronson said. “Many thanks to all of them.”
The event at 2.5 Mile Small Tracts Road was advertised to collect alternators, aluminum, bronze, cable, car parts, chain, copper, electric motors, engines, faucets, fixtures, iron, lead pipe, pots and pans, small appliances, steel, tin, wheels, wire and zinc.
“Two years ago, we did one that was just kind of an ongoing collection all summer; it was a giant mess to try and manage,” Aronson said. “Last year we did one that we got a little bit smarter about how to handle it.”
She credited resident George Figdor for his work on a promotional poster.
Aronson said the drive filled a 40-foot van, and at least one other shipment of a similar size will be sent to Seattle.
“Basically, what they do (in Seattle) is they melt it down, and then it becomes a raw product for all of the companies that are using metal in whatever their production activities are,” she said.
Volunteer handyman Mike Erny said many of the Haines items were “just worn out.”
“For two days, we took apart washers, dryers and stoves and unloaded refrigerators,” Erny said.
Aronson said parts of an airplane and an aluminum skiff were among the most interesting items turned in at the drive.
“There were some things that came in, and the volunteers or others who were there looked at them and took them back out, so there was some exchange as well as just straight recycling,” she said. “A lot of times people found things that they could use, and that’s great.”
Aronson said HFR likely would host another scrap metal drive in April or May.