Recycle Utah

Nonprofit Summit County, Utah Recycling Center

zerowaste@recycleutah.org

Efficient Home Heating

by

As the cold, snowy Park City winter approaches, there are a few things everyone can do to help improve sustainability. When temperatures start to drop, everyone’s thermostat kicks in, heating the house back up to a normal temperature. However, generating this heat requires the use of fossil fuels, emitting carbon into the atmosphere. By consuming less heat, less carbon is released into the atmosphere. The following are some ways to help minimize the energy spent heating your house.

Let the sun in during the daytime. The sun is a free source of heat, and by keeping your blinds open on a Park City winter day, your house can capture some of this heat by taking advantage of the greenhouse effect. Conversely, close your curtains come nighttime. Windows can be a key source of heat loss because they are not as well insulted as walls. By closing your curtains, you can cut down on heat loss and take strain off your furnace. Additionally, you can purchase insulated curtains that decrease heat loss and maximize your windows’ energy efficiency.  

Sealing air leaks and drafts is also a key way to minimize heat loss. Although commonly unnoticed, air leaks can a large source of heat loss, increasing the need for your furnace. Common locations of air leaks include external doors, windows, attics, and basements. The cost of properly sealing these locations will have minimal expense, but the benefits on both your heating bill and the environment are quite impactful.

By Pearson Ehrich

Preserving the Harvest

by

It’s the height of harvest season which means an abundance of produce! Sometimes, a large harvest can result in food waste when not planned correctly. If you don’t know what to do with your harvest, try canning!

Food preservation, like canning, has been around for centuries and it wasn’t too long ago that these methods were common knowledge. Most home canning involves a method called water bath canning.  Supplies needed include a large pot, canning rack, unused mason jars, a jar lifter, and a funnel. Here are the basic steps:

  1. Boil the jars in water to sanitize them before filling them with produce.
  2. Once sanitized, fill a hot jar with prepared food (following a trusted canning recipe) using your funnel and make sure to leave some space.
  3. Wipe the rim and seal your jars with the lids, twisting the band securely.
  4. Place the jars onto a rack in a pot with simmering water, covering the jars with at least 1 inch of water. Boil jars according to your recipe (add more minutes for higher altitudes).
  5. Turn off the heat and let the jars sit for 5 minutes. Then, take the jars out and let them cool for a day.
  6. Check to make sure your jars are sealed properly!

Home canning is a great way to eat local all year long while also reducing food waste. Other great food preservation methods include pickling and canning. Check out USUS Extension’s Food Preservation Resources for more info at https://extension.usu.edu/preserve-the-harvest/canning !

Produce Out of the Bag

by

Many of us are in the habit of bringing our own reusable bags to the grocery store. Hooray! Unfortunately, not so many of us have significantly reduced our use of plastic produce bags. And especially during this season of abundant fruits and vegetables, these filmy polyethylene produce bags are rapidly spinning off their rollers. Resist!

Now these bags, like all plastic bags made from sheets of polymer film, can be recycled into new materials. For this to happen, they must be stuffed into a plastic bag collection box located in the front of many retailers or taken to Recycle Utah. This collection system and the processing equipment required to recycle plastic bags is different from that provided by curbside programs. So—plastic bags should never go in our bins!

Considering these points will help you decide not to grab a plastic produce bag for your next purchase of fruits and vegetables.

*All plastic bags can be used again and again. Use your produce bags repeatedly. Just place them in the bottom of your grocery bags.

*Go bagless with produce that has a rind or inedible skin, like bananas, citrus, avocados, corn.

*Forego taking a bag for single produce items, like broccoli or peppers. Putting them in a bag may reduce bacteria in a few steps along the way, but it does not eliminate germs. That’s why we wash produce before eating it.

*Purchase your own produce bags made of washable, biodegradable fibers like cotton, hemp and jute fabric or mesh.

By Bev Harrison

Join Park City’s New Reuse Pilot!

by

Did you know that the US generates over 10,000 tons of plastic packaging waste every year? That’s a lot of plastic going to landfills! To fix this linear system of ‘take, make, waste’, Park City is spearheading circular economy solutions that ‘reduce, reuse, recycle, and regenerate’. One solution is an exciting, new pilot for Reusable To-Go Containers that launches October 1st!

Park City’s Reuse Pilot by Bold Reuse provides a way for customers to reduce their container waste with a sustainable packaging system that replaces single-use takeout containers. The City has partnered with Bold Reuse, an innovative packaging reuse company, Recycle Utah, and several local restaurants for this new pilot. Participating restaurants include Savoury Kitchen, Deer Valley Grocery-Café, GuestHaus, Shabu, Salt Box, and Este Pizza.

The program process is simple. Customers can sign up through the website or mobile app and purchase a $10 monthly subscription to use 2 boxes an unlimited number of times. Once you’ve signed up, order at a participating restaurant, and let staff know that you have a Bold Reuse subscription. The restaurant will package your order in the reusable container, and when you’re done, you can rinse the container and take it to a designated drop box! Collection boxes will be located at participating restaurants and Recycle Utah’s Center. If at least 1 container has been returned, you can order with a reusable container again – a truly circular solution! Join the reuse revolution by signing up for the program at boldreuse.com/parkcity!

By Haylee Neel

Drought-Tolerant Trees and Water Conservation

by

Conserving water is a crucial step towards a more sustainable environment. When one uses water in their home, energy is used to filter, clean, and pump the water. Therefore, reducing your water usage can further reduce your carbon footprint. By using less water, you are helping reduce pollution as well as conserving fuel resources. It is one of the small steps we can take towards protecting our environment. 

Considering that we live in Utah, droughts are a serious issue. Already in a water-deprived position, the last thing we want to do is lessen water reserves that certain species and ecosystems rely on. While in a drought, however, it is important to remember to prioritize watering trees. Trees provide a host of community benefits, including shade, oxygen, soil erosion prevention, and food sources for species. Shrubs are another important plant to prioritize when watering, as they help minimize road noise and filter out pollution from the air. If newly planted trees and plants are not properly watered, they could die before taking root.  Trees and shrubs are an essential part of our environment and must be protected during a drought. 

To help increase our tree canopy with water conservation in mind, Park City is organizing several tree planting events to build our urban canopy! Look out for new trees, with self-watering ‘ooze tubes’ around town this Fall. If you’re interested in joining a tree planting, visit the City’s Planting Park City page to sign up for future events! 

By Pearson Ehrich

Decarbonizing our Homes

by

You’re building a new home and landscaping your yard; would you adorn it with Kentucky Blue Grass? Or mix in some low-water native plants? It’s the same with our homes as we move into the future with ‘electrification’ as the latest buzz.  What exactly is this method of decarbonization?

Residential focus is on heating, cooking appliances, dryers, breaker boxes, solar, electric vehicle chargers and battery storage. Home heat involves replacing gas furnaces and water heaters with electric heat pumps, gas fireplaces with electric versions, gas stoves with induction cooktop/ranges and breaker boxes to accommodate the additional wattage. However, who can afford this necessary transition as we progress into the future, especially since gas is still affordable? To replace our 80 million + appliances in our 120 million U.S. households in the coming decades, equitable federal investment is critical. 

Additionally, decades of research shows that gas stoves can release harmful pollutants and sadly, indoor air emissions from these fossil fuel-burning appliances remain unregulated. Repeated long-term indoor air exposure to our beloved gas stoves can lead to development of respiratory complications and other health issues. 

By Mary Closser