Alaska is set somewhat in a world of its own when it comes to its geography, and it’s also set apart in how it manages solid waste, largely because of that unique landscape.
The far northwest state is two and a half times larger than Texas
but has a population of less than 750,000, translating to about 1.3 people per square mile. Nearly a third of Alaskans live in rural communities with no access to the state’s few and distant lined, class 1 landfills and depend on unlined sites to dispose of their waste, though they and operators are supported by Alaska’s Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC), as well as by consultants and trained tribal communities who work with ADEC.