chelsea@recycleutah.org

Bitcoin trading has become increasingly popular in the last 10 years. Today, one Bitcoin is worth about $87,000 USD, and the global cryptocurrency industry’s worth is estimated around $2.6 trillion USD. Bitcoin operates as a digitally “mined” currency. Rather than gold being pulled from the Earth and valued based on scarcity, bitcoins are “mined” by servers from blocks (long sequential number chains), which equate to a complex mathematical equation. Bitcoin “miners” are then tasked with solving these block equations, with the reward being one new bitcoin. The ins and outs of bitcoin mining are extremely complex, but mining one bitcoin consumes approximately 155,000 kWh of energy. Comparatively, the average US household consumes approximately 90 kWh of electricity in one month. 

Recent research on the effects of bitcoin mining on air quality found that 34 Bitcoin mines combined used about 33% more electricity in a day than the entire city of Los Angeles. Similar to how AI data centers work, Bitcoin servers require high energy input to run and large amounts of water to cool computers and data centers. The energy demand from these data centers is so great that it can only be met by fossil fuels. 

Mining for gold can also be a very environmentally taxing endeavor. Pulling gold and other precious metals from the Earth consumes significant amounts of energy in different ways and presents several more ethical concerns, such as fair labor and trade issues. The gold and cryptocurrency industries are estimated to each produce around 100 million tons of CO2 in a year, based on research done in 2023; however, the gold industry is worth vastly more than cryptocurrency, being valued at around 14 trillion dollars. Additionally, gold is less variable as a currency than what we have seen so far from cryptocurrency. 

When executed sustainably, bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies do present positive environmental opportunities as alternatives to precious metal mining. But sustainable mining practices are developing faster than sustainable data and server technologies. Until we can switch to reliable and consistent renewable energy sources for our quickly evolving tech needs, we are faced with a world that is becoming more and more reliant on fossil fuels and uses more energy each passing year. Bitcoin and AI data centers are at the forefront of discussions on regulations for companies producing large amounts of pollution or consuming large amounts of resources. Ensuring that these companies are held accountable and that resource use is regulated is the most promising path forward for the future of cryptocurrency. 

By Mia Moore

A letter, the last in a four-part series…

My Kin, I think often about your quality of life and health as I live my own with joy. What we do now will affect you and I’m trying to be aware and choose my actions with this knowledge. Giving back to our community is beneficial in a multitude of ways: time, treasure, or talent. While there are selfish people in our world today, there are also many who donate their precious time to help others and causes, in addition to money or their talent to support programs. I can only hope that you, my descendant, are surrounded by a nurturing and warm community. 

My Kin, I can’t imagine what state the world will be in during your time on earth, but currently, we experience extreme inequality from billionaires to homeless populations. My hope is that those with money are investing more wisely now, towards clean energy programs, water quality, social equity, and more. We can do that through our banks and stock investments, but many are still unaware of this. Sadly, money is still being invested in programs that benefit fossil fuels, large monopolies, and socially unjust causes that won’t benefit you many years from now. 

My Kin, we’re learning the importance of community in our lifetime today–similar to the way our ancestors and natives from hundreds of years ago lived–but it’s challenging with our nuclear families spreading across the globe. Hopefully, your families are close and tight, and your youth feel secure and stable without too many external influences from social media and divisive politics. I can only hope that your family feels content with friends, family, neighbors, and many pets.   

My Kin, I think often about what I have now–clean water and air, trees, wild animals, land, and food–and I can only hope you’re experiencing the same. Please know we are all trying…

By Mary Closser

The holiday season is one of the busiest times of year for us at Recycle Utah. Dropoffs reach an all-time high after Christmas, as people unload the remains of presents: boxes, wrapping paper, bows, and bags! 

Recycling is a great way to dispose of the remains of the holiday season sustainably, but the three R’s of waste management are ordered this way for a reason: first reduce, then reuse, and finally recycle. Come by after all your holiday activities this year to drop off packaging, food waste, or any other items we accept. But first, here are some sustainable holiday tips to keep in mind so you produce less waste this year! 

Reduce. Be mindful of what you buy! One thoughtful present goes further than 10 unwanted ones. When purchasing gifts or stocking stuffers, look for items friends or family will use, value, and appreciate for a long time.

Look into making gifts yourself, rather than buying them. Every year, I make every member of my family a hand-knit gift. What started as a badly knitted hat has turned into one of my favorite traditions of the holiday season! When thinking about what your friends and family might want, think about whether it is feasible for you to make that present yourself–you might find that more often than not, you are the very capable crafter of their dream gift! 

Reuse. Consider how you wrap your gifts. Americans produce about 25% more waste during the holidays, most of which comes from wrapping materials or cards. This year, think about getting creative with wrapping materials! A brown paper bag or newspaper works great as wrapping paper, and you can decorate it yourself to add a personal touch. Scarves, old blankets, or dish towels can also work great, and when you’re done, they can go right back to their original use! 

Save used wrapping materials for next year! It’s easy to unwrap presents without destroying wrapping paper. Collect materials that don’t need to be discarded and keep them. They could come in handy for birthdays and anniversaries.

There are lots of ways to be more environmentally considerate this holiday season! Get creative, and think about the hierarchy of the three R’s: Reduce, Reuse, and then Recycle! After you’ve reduced and reused this holiday season, come stop by Recycle Utah. We’re always here when you get to that last R! 

By Mia Moore

We’ve all seen it—cups, cutlery, and takeout containers proudly stamped with the word “compostable.” It sounds like a guilt-free green choice, but here’s the inconvenient truth: most so-called compostable products are never actually composted.

A recent CBC Marketplace investigation tested a variety of compostable products and found that many failed to break down as promised. Instead, they ended up in landfills where, without oxygen or the right microbial conditions, they simply sit there. That’s because composting isn’t just about what something is made of—it’s about where it ends up.

True composting is an aerobic (oxygen-rich) process. When food scraps and compostable materials are exposed to air, heat, and microorganisms, they transform into nutrient-rich soil. But in a landfill, waste is buried under layers of trash where oxygen is limited. That anaerobic environment causes materials, even compostable ones, to decompose slowly if at all—releasing methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

Many “compostable” materials, such as PLA (polylactic acid), require the high heat of an industrial composting facility to actually decompose. Without that infrastructure, “compostable” becomes little more than greenwashing.

The good news? Residents and businesses along the Wasatch Back have access to a solution. Through the Zero Food Waste Curbside Collection program, a partnership between Momentum Recycling and the Park City Community Foundation, food waste and accepted compostable materials are collected right at the curb and taken to Wasatch Resource Recovery’s anaerobic digester in North Salt Lake.

There, microorganisms break down organic matter in an oxygen-free environment, converting it into renewable natural gas and nutrient-rich fertilizer. If those same items went into your regular trash, they’d only contribute to methane emissions in the landfill.

Food waste makes up an estimated 40–60% of landfill space at Summit County’s Three-Mile Landfill. By diverting it, we reduce methane, create fertilizer, and extend the life of the landfill. As of January, Park City Community Foundation estimated local participation had already eliminated 18.1 tons of methane.

So next time you grab a coffee cup labeled “compostable,” ask yourself: Will it actually be composted? If the answer is no—it’s still trash. However, if you’re part of the local composting program, you’re turning waste into something that truly gives back to the earth.

Park City’s curbside composting program is a simple, impactful way to close the loop—and it’s free for new customers until the end of the year! If you prefer, you can also now drop off food waste at Recycle Utah whenever they’re open.

Learn more or sign up at parkcitycf.org/zerofoodwaste/curbsidecollection.

By Kimberly Flores, co-founder, fulFILLed Lifestyle Co.

Recently, the use of ChatGPT has skyrocketed. While ChatGPT is useful and educates people about various topics every day, it actually has an extremely harmful effect on the environment, more than other search engines. ChatGPT’s hidden environmental costs are often ignored, and it is important that we recognize them before the use of this AI tool advances even more.

While it is true that ChatGPT promotes creativity, its use requires massive amounts of energy for just a simple prompt or question. Every generated paragraph runs on vast amounts of electricity, which requires tons of water to stay cool and not overheat. These data centers are filled with thousands of computers that produce the prompts requested by users. When these computers are constantly active, they expel a lot of heat, making it necessary for something to cool them down: water. As the demand for ChatGPT prompts escalates, immense amounts of water are being wasted. Studies show that ChatGPT specifically uses the most energy compared to other search engines, and it is important to spread awareness of the negative effects of this increasingly popular tool.

Here are a few simple ways to reduce energy and water waste from ChatGPT:

• Decipher whether using AI is really necessary for the task before generating.
• Support search engines/tech companies that use renewable energy to power their servers.
• Delete the ChatGPT app off your device.

By Sadie Bretts

A letter, the third in a four-part series…

My Kin, I often think about your quality of life and health as I live my own with joy. What we do now will affect you, and I’m trying to be aware and choose my actions with this knowledge. I often think about water consumption and how we abuse it–I sure hope there’s enough left for you. Our fossil fuels use heaps of water, not to mention our sports including golf, skiing, field play, and more. We use so much in our homes, on our grass lawns, and to grow our food. I think of you daily when minimizing my showers and wearing clothes more than once before washing. But I know we could all do better. 

My Kin, our generation likes stuff. We buy many goods: clothing, furniture, and sporting goods, all of which require water to make. Do you know that a pair of jeans can use over 1,000 gallons of water to manufacture? Fortunately, thrift and consignment stores are becoming popular so our consumptive society can purchase used goods. We just need to buy less, use less, live simply… for you. 

My Kin, I know our agriculture systems could be more efficient–by improving soil, water methods, rotating crops, and more–but our government needs to better support these progressive methods. Our society eats an abundance of meat, which requires vast amounts of water to grow food for livestock. The good news is that more restaurants are offering vegetarian and vegan options, and I know people are trying to eat healthier. Buying local foods and growing our own is also helpful, but what we can grow in Utah is limited. 

My Kin, our planet is warming up, resulting in less snow and more fires. Water is getting trickier to clean, too, with all our medicines and chemicals. I try to buy natural products and organic produce, but our society seems to have so many demanding diseases and conditions, and organics can be expensive. 

My Kin, I think often about what I have now–clean water and air, trees, wild animals, land, and food–and I can only hope you’re experiencing the same. Please know we are all trying… 

By Mary Closser