In Denver, I tossed all of my recyclables in Trader Joe’s paper bags, put them outside my apartment door, and each night they were magically whisked away to recycling land. In Juneau, recycling is an event.

Recycling in Juneau includes a drive to the recycling center, facetime with piles of recyclables and associated wildlife, and a punchcard. Ravens and bees are plentiful. I didn’t see any bears, but I imagine they’re not far. There is a pungent vinegary aroma wafting through the air.

To Recycle, you pull up and park, and haul out assorted bins, boxes, and bags. You dump each type of material in its designated area. Every so often someone comes by with a front loader to scoop things up or compact them in the stall.

Once you have sprinkled your wares in each bin, you visit a small hut to stamp your recycling punchcard. Once you fill up the 20 spots, you get one free trip to the dump – bring one car, SUV, or pick-up truck load of trash and dump it, for free!

I’m sure this process is true of other places too, and I’m just used to living in a city. It seems particularly appropriate to be face-to-face with recycling and waste in a place where everything that comes in and goes out does so via plane or barge. As a result, everything has a second, third, and fourth life. I’m honestly surprised the resale shops are not bigger here, considering that it’s so expensive and difficult to get things in and out.

Only 19 more trips before the jackpot trip to the dump!