Recycle Utah

Nonprofit Summit County, Utah Recycling Center

zerowaste@recycleutah.org

Got Energy? It’s Time to Economize

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Imagine this: your thermostat is at 67 rather than 70 during the day and 55 rather than 60 during the night– you throw on a sweater or an extra blanket. Simply decreasing the temperature of your thermostat, amongst many other changes, can save money and minimize the burning of fossil fuels during our winter months. Not everyone can afford solar panels, electric vehicles, and the latest appliances, but there are numerous low to no-cost energy actions we can implement to reduce our monthly bills and carbon footprint. Here are a few:

  • Transition all bulbs to LED, including Christmas lights.
  • Why heat or light the house when nobody is there? Purchase a smart thermostat, dimmers, motion sensors, and timers.
  • Turn off lights when not in use and install smart strips to avoid vampire power use.
  • Identify air leaks, then caulk, seal, and weather strip.
  • Open windows during warmer days and close them at night.
  • Make sure nothing is blocking heat vents and add rugs if the floors are cold.
  • Ditch the extra fridge or freezer hanging out in the garage or basement.
  • Maintain central heat ducts and service your furnace.
  • Decrease heat in parts of the house that are not used consistently.
  • Turn the water heater temperature down.
  • Ditch the dryer and use drying racks.
  • Close the fireplace flue when not in use and add chimney insulation if appropriate.
  • Close off spare bedrooms, including vents.
  • Consider transitioning to electric for the oven, furnace, and water heater (rebates are available).
  • Contact Dominion Energy’s ThermWise program for a $25 Home Energy Audit at 1-888-324-3221.

By Mary Closser

Remodeling Reclamation

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Recycling is important– it keeps materials out of landfills and saves natural resources by creating new items from old. What’s far better than recycling though are the first two R’s: Reduce and Reuse. Buy something that already exists versus something newly created from natural resources; usually oil, ore, plants, or sand are the natural resources items are made from. Thrift stores are optimal by offering used clothing, kitchenware, books, shoes, and more. Then, there are keen kitchen gadgets popping up to replace plastic wrap or aluminum foil to cover bowls and cans, washable/durable sponges, washable/reusable paper towels, and more. It’s wonderful to see what the market offers these days.

Another area many don’t think about with Reduce and Reuse is home remodeling projects. I recently added a small bathroom to my condo to entice my son to return home from college more. The Reuse challenge was super fun. Ultimately, I was able to use leftover floor tile from Modern Tile in SLC, and the sink, toilet, door, shelving, light fixture, and trim mainly from Recycle Utah’s Warehouse Thrift Store. It looks terrific and slightly eclectic. Extended dedication would have involved leftover drywall and wood, light switches, paint, and towel racks, while insulation and the shower would have been more challenging. The point is that options are available if we have time to hunt, and we can’t forget about the saved money and resources.

Between local building thrifts like Recycle Utah and Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore, not to mention numerous others in the Salt Lake Valley, the sky is the limit. Everything comes from a natural resource, and many are non-renewable. Let’s get savvy about how we proceed with our purchases from clothes and furniture to cars and home remodels. Can we Reduce or Reuse before we Recycle?

By Mary Closser

The Better Choice: Garbage Disposal or Trashcan? NEITHER!

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Are you making the best choice with your family’s food waste? Food scraps we grind up in the garbage disposal, an appliance generally prohibited in Europe, travel through 300 miles of aging sewer pipes to a water reclamation district plant. There, the food waste may or may not pass through huge entry filters. If it makes it, it continues flowing with the rest of the organic solids in our wastewater for further treatment. In the process, byproduct biogas—60% methane, and carbon dioxide—is emitted. The organic solids that don’t pass through the filters, become a gritty sludge that is trucked to—yes, the Three Mile Canyon Landfill. There it decomposes anaerobically along with the food waste we throw in the trashcan creating—yes, methane gas. The Snyderville Basin Water Reclamation District plants and Summit County’s landfill are relatively very small and neither has a methane cap system. In 2020, SBWRD captured and trucked 300 tons of sludge to the landfill. Last year we dumped 1400 tons of food waste there—30% of the landfill’s total solid waste.

Our best choice? To divert food waste from the landfill and reduce methane pollution, we must compost it and turn it naturally into a nutrient-rich soil amendment. We have four composting choices: backyard composting (bins available to purchase at Recycle Utah), electric indoor composting, worm composting, and membership in Spoil to Soil’s curbside composting service. Spoil to Soil’s rapidly growing 44-acre off-grid farm in Brown’s Canyon accepts ALL food waste! In addition to plant-based food, houseplants, and yard waste, they now accept meat, bone, grains, dairy, grease, soiled paper towels, uncoated paper products, and cardboard! Contact them at www.spoiltosoil.org to learn more.

Parents tell their children to “clean your plate.” The expression came into existence in World War I when the U.S. government worried about wartime food shortages. It was revived during World War II when Harry Truman urged Americans to curb their food waste to send food supplies to starving post-war Europeans. Elementary schools promptly formed Clean Your Plate Clubs! So, figure out how composting can work for your family and “clean your plate.” Don’t run the disposal. Don’t throw food waste in the trashcan—and enjoy making a lot fewer trips dragging your trash barrel to the curb.

By Bev Harrison

Decluttering with Purpose: A Post-Christmas Clean-out Guide

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As the holiday season fades into fond memories, the arrival of new gifts often brings with it a bit of post-holiday clutter. Now, as we start a new year, let’s use the spirit of fresh beginnings to make a positive impact through a purposeful post-Christmas clean-out.

When it comes to decluttering, Recycle Utah is your all-in-one destination. Whether you’re dealing with household goods, furniture, or old electronics, this organization specializes in recycling and repurposing. Bring in your holiday boxes and packaging materials for recycling, ensuring a cleaner environment. Don’t forget to drop off old electronics, ensuring that hazardous materials are disposed of responsibly while valuable components get a second life. By choosing Recycle Utah, you not only free your space from unwanted items but also contribute to a circular economy, reducing the burden on landfills.

If your closet is bursting with the aftermath of holiday shopping, consider decluttering with purpose. The Christian Center welcomes clothing donations, particularly winter wear. Your gently used clothing can make a significant impact on the lives of those in need, providing warmth and comfort during the colder months. If you find yourself retiring old skis or snowboards, Recycle Utah is the perfect place to ensure they are recycled responsibly.

As children grow and interests change, toys and clothes tend to accumulate. Rather than letting these items gather dust, consider donating gently used items to Kid-to-Kid. This organization offers a unique opportunity for your family to trade used toys and clothes for cash or store credit, keeping smiles on new faces and gently used items out of landfills.

As we carefully pack away the holiday decorations, let’s use this post-Christmas period for a purposeful and responsible clean-out. By donating used items to Recycle Utah, clothes to the Christian Center, and toys to Kid-to-Kid, you extend the joy of the season to those in need and contribute to a healthier environment. Let’s usher in the new year with a fresh, organized living space and a positive impact on the world around us. Happy cleaning!

By Chelsea Hafer

How to Drive and Maintain Roads Sustainably in the Winter

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As temperatures are dropping and the roads start to get icy, Park City citizens are starting to prepare for winter driving. Throughout the winter, it’s common practice to pour road salt on streets and driveways, which is by far effective in creating less icy driving conditions. “By lowering the freezing temperature of water, salt prevents snow from turning to ice and melts ice that is already there,” says Jenny Gross with the New York Times. However, recent speculation by scientists has shown that road salts have very harmful environmental effects. Salt is carried with water runoff in the Spring into rivers, lakes, and the reservoirs we drink from. High concentrations of salt have been found to negatively impact plants it encounters. It may seem small, but regardless, road salts do have harmful effects on wildlife and ecosystems. So, what can we do to fix this problem? Jenny Gross with the New York Times states, “One method involves treating roads before storms with a salt brine solution, which can lead to a 75 percent reduction in the amount of salt used while keeping roads just as safe.” Balancing environmental concerns with road safety is a difficult task, but by raising awareness and finding reasonable solutions, we can find a compromise that makes our community and our world a better place. 

Other winter road and driving-related facts to keep in mind:

  • It only takes about 30 seconds to heat up to the ideal driving temperature, even in the winter conditions we have in Park City. Idling and waiting for your car to heat up is not cost-effective and is bad for the environment.

The EPA released that on average, snow blowers release one pound of carbon monoxide every hour that it’s used. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a harmful gas molecule that when inhaled can cause slowed delivery of oxygen to vital organs in the body. Gasoline-powered home-use machines, such as snow blowers, are useful and fast, but shoveling your snow is much more sustainable. Some might even say it’s more fulfilling! 

By Grayson Rae, Sophomore at Park City High School

Making Alternative Milk

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Every holiday I buy myself a gift, practical or for pleasure. This year I got to thinking about the numerous cartons of alternative milks I purchase for my family, not to mention the cost and how much waste I could reduce if I made my own. Alternative milks are rising in popularity due to health, animal welfare and our environment, but do we get the necessary nutrients from plant-based milks? Are they affordable?

One option is to purchase a machine: a nut-milk maker. The initial cost can be high (approximately $100 to $300), but the product is fresh and can be customized. Another option is to make your own by soaking soy, oats, or almonds followed by draining, blending, and straining. It may be time-consuming, but it’s worth the wait to know the source of the products. 

If you’re thinking about making the switch to dairy-free, it’s essential to evaluate your overall diet if you decide to limit or avoid dairy to make sure you’re supplementing nutrients from other foods. Dairy-free milk can be protein-rich and fortified with calcium, D, B2, B12, or more with a bit of research. Whatever the desire – rice, soy, quinoa, oat, almond, coconut, cashew, flaxseed, or pea – it’s worth a try to nix the grocery purchases, except for the bulk nuts or grains. Access to composting is important too as residue will result.

That being said, dairy contains important nutrients for bone and muscle health. If making the switch to dairy-free is not something you’re interested in now, we are lucky to have a lot of local dairy farmers in Utah that do container refills and home delivery. You can still reduce your carbon footprint from milk and continue to consume dairy by supporting local agriculture! Maybe it’s time to start mixing up habitual routines in consideration of our planet as local agriculture and milk alternatives are improving every day.

By Mary Closser