Recycle Utah

Nonprofit Summit County, Utah Recycling Center

zerowaste@recycleutah.org

Natural Cleaning Supplies

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It’s something we all have in common: Cleaning. What’s not common knowledge, though, is the power of natural, non-toxic and inexpensive cleaning materials. Consider Going Green and nixing the stinky cleaning cabinet all together! Check out a few of the basics:

1. House Cleaner: The most magical of all begins with a V -Yes, Vinegar. Fill an empty spray bottle with 1/3 Vinegar ½ H20 and 1 T. dish soap. This magical liquid can beautify most surfaces in your house – it’s especially good for mildew, floors, mirrors, windows and countertops. Any V smell dissipates once it dries. Rubbing alcohol also works well on windows and Baking soda does wonders for the toilet, tub, countertops and oven interior (mixed with salt). Sodium Percarbonate is a superb Bleach alternative.

2. Furniture and More: Polish your furniture and shoes with mere Olive Oil and lemon juice and freshen the air or de-clog your drains with vinegar and baking soda. Hydrogen Peroxide does the trick for red wine stains and more and lastly, Peanut Butter can remove the tough residues like paint or sticker residue.

3. Everyday: How many ingredients do your everyday body soap and shampoo have in them? Castile soap, hard or liquid, is simple olive oil based soap, amongst others. Check the net for recipes to make your own soaps, toothpaste, laundry detergent, house cleaners and much more.

By Mary Closser

Let the Sun Shine In

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It’s the height of Summer, which means long days and plenty of sunlight. While we’re busy enjoying the warm weather and taking vacations, we don’t always think about lighting in our homes and offices. Turning on lights during the day can add unnecessary energy use and expenses – especially when we have such an abundant source of daylight in the summer.

Be sure to use natural daylighting as much as you can at home and in the office. If you have access to windows and plenty of sunlight, artificial lighting isn’t necessary. Natural lighting is better for health and productivity anyway! If you find your home gets too much by direct sun, you can purchase window shades or screens to reduce heat gain, UV exposure, and glare while still letting in some sunlight. At work, encourage your office to use natural lighting wherever possible.  If you can work remotely, try working outside to get fresh air and boost your mood!

If you need to use artificial lighting, be sure to use it efficiently. Turn the lights off when you’re done in a room – especially if you are the last one at the office! Be sure to switch to LED lights; this is one of the easiest and most effective actions you can take to reduce energy use at home. LEDs use 75% less energy and can last over 15 years longer than incandescent lights while providing the same amount of light or lumens.

By Haylee Neel

Paper Towel Alternatives

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Paper towels are a staple in many homes and seem to have infinite uses, but they are also a single-use product filling up landfills and contributing to overall waste. Aside from the waste problem, paper towel production impacts the environment through deforestation, chemical and water use, and carbon dioxide emissions. So how do we kick the paper towel habit and make the switch to better alternatives?


Americans are responsible for about half of the world’s paper towel usage – 13 billion pounds of paper towels annually or the equivalent of 270 million trees each year. To move away from overuse of paper towels, consider the many viable alternatives that exist on the market. Instead of decorative dish towels, white cotton towels and sponges can be used and reused for spills and household cleaning. Consider investing in cloth napkins to avoid unnecessary waste at mealtimes. The best part about switching to these reusable alternatives is that you’re likely to save money in the long run by purchasing less single-use items.


If you feel like a mess just needs a paper towel, try to purchase post-consumer recycled fiber, unbleached, or bamboo paper towels. Bamboo requires no pesticides or chemicals for growth and is self-regenerating with little water. Additionally, most paper towels are biodegradable and can be composted (if used to clean up food or drink messes), so if you want to go above and beyond, be sure to check if the paper towels you are purchasing fit these requirements.

By Olivia Beckstead

‘Tis the Season for Farmer’s Markets

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We all know how good shopping locally is for us, our community and the planet. And NOW is the time to shop at a neighborhood farmers’ market. The best nutritious and flavorful produce grown sustainably on nearby family farms ripens throughout our growing season. For the next few months, farmers will bring it to town for us to purchase, along with other farm products they make using local ingredients. Here are some tips for  bringing home a colorful cornucopia:

*Bring cash and consider using a wagon, wheeled-cart or stroller for all  your purchases; stick in a small cooler.  

*Shop early for the greatest selection; shop the last hour for deals.

*Make sure to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables currently being harvested. These are infinitely more delicious than their grocery store  counterparts.

*Ask farmers questions about their produce, especially unfamiliar items,  and how it is grown. They are eager to have us join them in advocating for locally-grown and sustainably-produced food. They can give you preparation ideas—and maybe a sample!

*Farmers markets can be overwhelming. You might want to have a shopping plan and recipes to help you choose and use produce and other farm products while they are freshest. Think creatively and substitute ingredients with what is seasonally available. Sometimes buying a hodgepodge of items results in unused food that ends up going to waste.  

Enjoy a fun, educational, productive and delicious time at a farmers market. Bon Appetit!

By Bev Harrison

Vehicles: An Unexpected Source of Fire Danger

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While we live in a beautiful ski town, Park City is also a high-mountain desert; with that comes the threat of summer forest fires. Fire safety is as important as ever considering Utah’s severe state of drought. There are some simple steps we can all take to protect our precious town from the dangers that fires impose, especially when it comes to our vehicles.

Vehicles are an all too common source of local fires, due to a few common factors. It is important to not park a hot car on dry grass, as this can lead to the grass catching on fire. Maintaining normal tire pressure is also quite significant as a tire blowout on the highway can easily start a fire. Objects dangling from cars traveling down highways at 70+mph can create dangerous sparks. Therefore, it is important to secure trailer chains to make sure they don’t drag and spark a fire. For off road vehicles, it is also important to have spark arrestors in them (a mechanical device that traps hot exhaust particles ejected from a combustion engine).  

It is not an understatement to say it is vital to maintain the overall health of your vehicle. In fact, the Lambs Canyon fire of 2021 was started by a simple malfunction of a car’s catalytic converter. Be sure to car for your care with fire safety in mind to help protect our environment and community!

By Pearson Ehrich

The Environmental Cost of Online Shopping

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In the age of the internet, efficiency is everything, especially when it comes to e-commerce. Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs) like personal care and homecare products are increasingly ordered online rather than in-store and are delivered within days of purchase. Factors such as delivery, packaging, and a perceived demand by consumers to receive goods faster all contribute to emissions and waste related to online shopping. But is it worse than going to the store yourself?

Truthfully, the environmental impact is more complicated than you’d think. Consumer behavior, waste, logistics, the type and amount of packaging, and the distance from distribution hub to store or home all play a role. A recent study published by MIT’s Real Estate Innovation Lab compiled research on both shopping options to address some of these complexities. Under specific circumstances, ordering goods for delivery actually has less of an impact on the environment because shoppers are making fewer individual trips. But change some of the assumptions, such as inefficient freight consolidation or amount of packaging, and the results favor in-store shopping.

When there is a perceived demand for receiving goods as fast as possible, companies will cater to the consumer. So, what’s the best thing you can do to avoid the online shopping conundrum? Be a conscious consumer! The less stuff you buy, online or in-store, the less you’ll contribute to waste and pollution. Think about alternative buying options for FMCGs such as buying in bulk, buying local, and consolidating trips to the store.

By Olivia Beckstead