The mayor of the Kenai Peninsula Borough reported that a 33-year-old baler at the Central Peninsula Landfill experienced a catastrophic mechanical failure, halting the facility’s ability to compact bulky recyclable material.

The mayor said the baler was designed to compact all landfill trash but had been repurposed in recent years for recycling only. “We have a 33 year old baler that was designed for baling all of the trash at the Central Peninsula Landfill,” the mayor said. “It sheared all those bolts, bent. I think it’s 12 inch piping…so we’re very lucky that no one was injured.”

Why it matters: the failure prevents the borough from handling bulky recyclables at the central facility and will require both interim logistics changes and substantial capital investment. The mayor called the needed replacement a “large piece of equipment” with a long lead time and said staff are evaluating interim solutions while they plan a final replacement.

Borough officials said they will continue to accept metals and glass at the central facility. The mayor noted there is still some recycling capacity on the South Peninsula, and that Seward’s recyclables go directly to Anchorage. “This is largely central peninsula that’s impacted right now,” the mayor said.

The mayor also framed the issue in environmental terms, citing vehicle miles and emissions associated with borough-wide recycling collection. “We drive a million miles a year in the borough collecting recycling. That’s between $22,500,000 of carbon greenhouse gas generated for some very low value recyclables,” the mayor said, adding that the borough is re-evaluating which streams remain practical to collect locally.

Tires were raised as a separate ongoing concern. The mayor said the borough generates about 10,000 tires a year and reiterated previous efforts to fund tire-shredding through grants and private partners. He said a private-sector party remains interested and the borough will seek to include funding in the state budget again.

Officials said staff expect to have recommendations and more detailed options within about 30 days, including potential redesigns of how recyclables and solid waste are received and handled at the landfill.

What’s next: borough staff will produce interim measures while pursuing a long-term equipment replacement and system redesign. Details on costs, timelines, and any required budget amendments were not provided at the meeting.