FollowCongratulations to the following ALPAR Flying Cans participants who received funding this year to purchase can crushers (either small hand-operated or larger mechanized versions) in 2025. Seven communities will share more than $12,000 in equipment funding. Those receiving funds and their intended uses:
| Native Village of Brevig Mission | Brevig Mission | $ 280 | 2 electric + 1 manual crusher |
| Native Village of Scammon Bay – IGAP | Scammon Bay | $ 326 | 4 crushers + air hose and splitter to run crushers |
| Ohogamiut Trad. Council | Marshall | $ 417 | purchase 2 electric crushers |
| Iliamna Village Council | Iliamna | $ 440 | 20 hand crushers |
| Aleknagik Traditional Council | Aleknagik | $ 703 | 4 electric crushers |
| Native Village of Nightmute – IGAP | Nightmute | $ 882 | purchase 63 hand crushers |
| Tanana Village Council | Tanana | $ 9,000 | vertical baler |
The American Beverage Association/American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America, with assistance from Coca-Cola Bottling of Alaska, a subsidiary of The Odom Corporation, provided $10,000 while ALPAR added to the fund, administered the grant funds, and paid for signage and recognition stickers.
To qualify, applicants had to be enrolled in ALPAR’s Flying Cans. The program allows rural communities off the road and rail system and without the ability to recycle used aluminum beverage cans (UBCs) locally to collect and send in UBCs at no cost via members of the Alaska Air Carriers Association. The UBCs are routed to the Anchorage Recycling Center, which then sends reports to ALPAR, which in turn pays the market rate for UBCs quarterly.
UBCs are infinitely recyclable. The effort keeps a valuable resource out of local landfills and the funds earned are often re-invested in local IGAP Environmental Departments for community outreach and training. In 2024, rural communities sent in more than 17,000 pounds of UBCs.