Tips & Tricks
The Blog
By providing weekly tips, our blog is a resource for helping you live your most sustainable life possible.
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What to Do With Hard-to-Recycle Items
Have you noticed a line-up of yellow buckets on a bench outside Recycle Utah’s office? They are there for us…
Summer Produce Preservation
Summer produce is magic: Corn, tomatoes, peaches! Greens, turnips, sugar snap peas! Summer squash, beans – and more tomatoes! Whether…
Stay Cool In The Summer Heat
When it heats up outside, Americans spend big bucks to cool off. Our love of the air conditioner costs us…
Laundry
Laundry is something we all do habitually. Our washers and dryers are two of our household’s highest energy-consuming appliances, consistently…
PFAS: The Forever Chemicals in Dental Flosses
Here in our ski community, we were alarmed when we learned that toxic chemicals called PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances)…
A Sustainable Back-to-School Season!
As the back-to-school season approaches, it’s a great time to make mindful choices that benefit both kids and the environment!…
Mastering Curbside Recycling
When Recycle Utah goes into schools to teach Summit County students, we always start with the same introduction. We review…
Living in Harmony: Responsibly Exploring Park City’s Open Space
Park City, and the mountains and meadows of the Wasatch Back, are home to a variety of flora and fauna…
READ MORE… Living in Harmony: Responsibly Exploring Park City’s Open Space
Perils of Plastic: Why Refusing Single-Use Plastics is Crucial for Our Future
Plastic was groundbreaking when it was invented a century ago. I remember my mother having Tupperware parties in the 1960s…
READ MORE… Perils of Plastic: Why Refusing Single-Use Plastics is Crucial for Our Future
Reducing Food Waste At Home
Food waste has a large impact on climate. In the US, about 40% of food goes uneaten. According to the…
Sustaining Environmental Excellence: The Costs Behind Recycle Utah
In the heart of Park City, nestled among the mountains, lies Recycle Utah, your local nonprofit organization dedicated to environmental…
READ MORE… Sustaining Environmental Excellence: The Costs Behind Recycle Utah
Heat Pumps
A recent U.S. Department of Energy report states that space heating (and cooling) is the number one use of energy…
The Environmental Burden of Balloons
When I was little, I remember stepping out of a birthday party with my balloon. It slipped out of my…
Return to Raking!
When thinking about climate change, it sometimes feels like many of the solutions are out of the hands of individuals…
Pack and Act Green on Your Vacation
When planning a more sustainable vacation, your choices extend past your transportation options; there are things you can do throughout…
Blue Sky Blocks
The Blue Sky Energy program has been around for over 20 years. Participants in the Blue Sky program can invest…
The Environmental Toll of Tire Emissions
Alarm surrounding the air quality and climate effects of tailpipe emissions have led to a recent focus on electrifying our…
The Case for Home Gardening
You may have heard scary reports about large-scale farming and the negative impacts of mass food production. But don’t despair!…
How to Compost at Home
With the snow melting, now is a great time to start thinking about starting your own backyard compost pile! While…
Green Start Your Vacation
Are you vacation planning? Wherever you go, don’t forget to bring along the great eco-friendly behaviors you’ve incorporated into your…
Dark Skies
Have you ever visited a major city where you’ve looked up and seen a murky sky without stars? What you’re…
Chemicals and Hazardous Waste
Water quality should be a focus as much as water quantity in Utah and beyond. As we slowly plasticize our…
Empowering the Next Generation: How to Talk to Kids About Climate Change
As a kid, I don’t remember getting much of a formal environmental education. My “environmental education” came from my experiences…
READ MORE… Empowering the Next Generation: How to Talk to Kids About Climate Change
The Great Salt Lake
Utah is an other-worldly place. Our snow-covered mountains, our lush rolling hills, and our stunning red rocks are only some…
Eco-Friendly Dishwashing by Machine and by Hand
Is it necessary to rinse off dirty dishes before putting them in the dishwasher to assure they are clean and…
Textile Recycling for A Sustainable Future of Fashion
The escalating issue of textile waste, with millions of pounds ending up in landfills annually, has sparked a significant movement…
READ MORE… Textile Recycling for A Sustainable Future of Fashion
Regenerative Agriculture
Food – it’s said we can live three weeks without it. We rely on farmers to grow our grains, produce,…
What Happens to your Trash and Recycling?
You’ve probably been told countless times that you must monitor your plastic consumption, recycle, and compost. It would be a…
How Batteries Find a New Life at Recycle Utah
In an era heavily influenced by technological advancements, batteries have become an integral component of our daily lives, powering an…
The Footprint of Online Returns
Oh, the joy and convenience of typing a few keys in search of that perfect jacket, punching purchase, and having…
Learning from Our Green Businesses
In 2016, Recycle Utah initiated the Green Business Program providing free support to companies that are committed to undertaking specific…
Eating Locally and Seasonally
Nowadays, food items and goods are all easily accessible. Vast improvements in food preservation, transportation, and food production have helped…
Got Energy? It’s Time to Economize
Imagine this: your thermostat is at 67 rather than 70 during the day and 55 rather than 60 during the…
Remodeling Reclamation
Recycling is important– it keeps materials out of landfills and saves natural resources by creating new items from old. What’s…
The Better Choice: Garbage Disposal or Trashcan? NEITHER!
Are you making the best choice with your family’s food waste? Food scraps we grind up in the garbage disposal,…
READ MORE… The Better Choice: Garbage Disposal or Trashcan? NEITHER!
Decluttering with Purpose: A Post-Christmas Clean-out Guide
As the holiday season fades into fond memories, the arrival of new gifts often brings with it a bit of…
READ MORE… Decluttering with Purpose: A Post-Christmas Clean-out Guide
How to Drive and Maintain Roads Sustainably in the Winter
As temperatures are dropping and the roads start to get icy, Park City citizens are starting to prepare for winter…
READ MORE… How to Drive and Maintain Roads Sustainably in the Winter
Making Alternative Milk
Every holiday I buy myself a gift, practical or for pleasure. This year I got to thinking about the numerous…
Have an Earth-Giving Holiday
The season of “Peace on Earth Good Will to All” is upon us. This season is followed by the official…
Unwrapping a Greener Holiday: Sustainable Tips for a Merry Christmas
Watching the snow build on the mountains has many of us getting excited for ski season, as well as the…
READ MORE… Unwrapping a Greener Holiday: Sustainable Tips for a Merry Christmas
Transportation and Climate Change
How are you getting to where you need to go? In Park City, transportation is a commonly debated subject, and…
Reduce Waste in Your Everyday Life
Since opening in 2009, Savoury Kitchen has endeavored to implement eco-friendly practices in all aspects of our business. These efforts…
Savor the Flavor, Not the Waste: Reducing Food Waste This Thanksgiving
As Thanksgiving approaches, we look forward to delicious meals with loved ones. Yet, this season also witnesses a sharp 25%…
READ MORE… Savor the Flavor, Not the Waste: Reducing Food Waste This Thanksgiving
Sewer Water Contaminants
Recycle Utah offers seasonal tours for our visual learners with the most recent one in October at Snyderville Basin Water…
Hang on to Your Fleece!
Tis the season for wearing and covering up with (polyester) fleece— pullovers, jackets, vests, coats, hats, blankets. It’s warm, soft…
What To Do with Halloween Jack-O-Lanterns
With Halloween coming around the corner, you’re probably getting excited about decorating, making plans with friends, and stocking up on…
Winterizing Your Home the Green Way
It’s October, which means winter is around the corner! Winterizing your home the green way not only safeguards the environment…
The Carbon Footprint of Streaming
Many of our everyday activities have environmental consequences: how we dispose of waste, what we eat, how we move around.…
Have a Happy Green Halloween Season!
Have a Happy Green Halloween Season! There are lots of easy ways to make your Halloween green this year. The…
Talking About Climate Change
How often do you talk about climate change or hear someone else talk about it? If you responded, “not much,”…
From Summit County’s Solid Waste Superintendent, “Please recycle your cardboard!”
The increase in mail order and consumer packaging has dramatically increased the amount of old corrugated cardboard (OCC) being dumped…
READ MORE… From Summit County’s Solid Waste Superintendent, “Please recycle your cardboard!”
Fast Fashion
Are you tired of your clothes and in need of a shopping spree? Maybe a wedding is on the horizon…
Beetle Kill Pine Wood
Are you building a house? Perhaps remodeling your kitchen? If so, consider the most sustainable options for building materials before…
The Dangers of “Forever Chemicals” and the Water We Drink
How safe is the water we drink? Many people are unaware about the chemical PFAS. PFAS has been linked to…
READ MORE… The Dangers of “Forever Chemicals” and the Water We Drink
Why Does Recycling Matter?
Rumor has it that it’s not worth recycling any plastics as they end up in the landfill. Are what Republic…
Sustainable Travel and Lodging
There is a saying that experience is the best teacher, and the best experience is travel. There are so many…
Wishcycling
You just finished a cup of soda in a disposable container with a plastic lid and straw. You are late…
Green Burials
For millennia, humans wrapped their departed loved ones in a simple shroud and a plain wooden box and returned them…
Put a Little Bamboo in Your Life
Here are some stats on the incredible sustainability features of bamboo. A forest of it acts as a giant carbon…
Laundry Tips
Unless you have the laundry fairy on speed dial, chances are you or someone in your household does up to…
Recycling the Small Stuff
We at Recycle Utah often get questions about the small stuff. The caps? Lids? Corks? Small bath products? First, keep…
Food Expiration
What do food expiration dates really mean? ‘Food product dating,’ according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is voluntary for…
How Does Your Garden Grow?
Choosing plants that will thrive in your garden does not have to be difficult. Just look around in our meadows,…
Soft Plastics
In 1960, the average American generated about 1,000 pounds of trash per year. Today, we create about 1,800 pounds each. …
The Impact of Lawns on Climate Change
Over 40 million acres of the United States are covered by lawns with two percent of land occupied by turf…
Hair
Sometimes it would be easier to be bald. Think of all the money saved, time and bad hair days. Then,…
Functional Turfgrass and Water-wise Landscaping
Turfgrass is not always the “bad guy”—thirsty, hungry, and costly. It is a favorite place where we play and generally…
Composting
Landfills are filling up and at least 40% of the waste is from our food and yard. This organic waste,…
The Sustainability of Cooking
Our daily lives consist of a lot of cooking, which can significantly impact the environment. Fortunately, there are ways to…
Carbon Footprint of Alcohol
Our food, clothing, electronics, and even alcohol… there’s a carbon footprint for everything. Drinks of pleasure can weigh heavily on…
Water In, Water Out: Reclaiming Wastewater
According to Mike Luers, general manager of the Snyderville Basin Water ReclamationDistrict (SBWRD) they treat 4,000,00 gallons of wastewater per…
All About Bees
After a long period of hibernating throughout the winter, bees are slowly starting to emerge as spring is now upon…
Small Appliances
Your coffee machine or humidifier breaks, what should you do? Can it be recycled? Sadly, most small appliances contain an…
Enjoying Coffee Sustainably
Context behind the Caffeine: Coffee began as a colonial system with a clear demarcation between producing countries and consuming countries.…
Join the Crowd of Local Free-Fare Transit Travelers
Transit travelers are decreasing their carbon footprint by approximately 4 pounds of CO2 for each hour of drive time. (EPA).…
READ MORE… Join the Crowd of Local Free-Fare Transit Travelers
Flavor Boosting Gold
If you’ve already developed the household habit of collecting food scraps for compost, here is another benefit of diverting food…
Protect Your Lungs
The winter season in Utah is in full swing bringing an increase in pollution through inversions. The State of Utah…
The Lifecycle of Foam
Packing peanuts, food containers, coffee cups, and packaging material you might know as Styrofoam. In fact, Styrofoam is a Dow…
Energy Upgrades
Our energy supply gets cleaner every day. In fact, while less than 20% of Utah energy is still delivered to…
Hope in the Face of Climate Change
Climate change is here and it’s terrifying. From natural disasters, sea level rise, air and water quality, food scarcity, to…
Our Grocery Choices: Some Recycling Packaging Conundrums
We often hear about nixing the plastic bag for a reusable and that’s easy. What about some of the more…
READ MORE… Our Grocery Choices: Some Recycling Packaging Conundrums
Cosmetics and the Environmental Working Group
Before slathering your moisturizer on your face or applying your new mascara, I would invite your first to ask, “What…
Recycled Metal is Always Precious
Metals are elements mined from ores. Unlike glass and plastics which are produced from natural resources, we can’t make more…
Reach Out for Sustainably-Produced Goods
Demand for recycled materials fluctuates over time. Now, because the demand for cardboard is low, our local recyclers are paying…
Ocean Awareness
One may ask, “Why should I care about the ocean since I live in Utah?”. While the blue horizonmay not…
The (Un)Sustainability of Tetra Paks
“Is this recyclable?”, “Which bin does this go in?”, and “What is this even made of?” are questions us recyclers…
Congratulations 2022 Green Business Winners
The 2022 Green Business awardees were selected from thirty-four businesses that have joined the revamped program since July 2022.The five…
Green Banking
As the saying goes, “Money makes the world go ‘round.” And if you’re looking for a simple New Year’s resolution…
Fluorocarbon Ski Wax
This past summer, Park City and Snyderville Basin Water Reclamation District found Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) in our local groundwater and…
Power Down Your Roof Top Heat
The cost of turning on rooftop heat tape in late fall and running it continuously until spring is easy, but…
A Sustainable Holiday Season
The holiday season is a time for joy, laughter, and memories. However, the holiday season can be one of the…
Air Travel
Last weekend while judging a local high school debate tournament, the affirmative team promoted enhancing communication amongst NATO allies to…
Ethical Cooking Oils
Have you ever wondered how ethical your favorite cooking oil is? A daily amount of these fatty liquids is necessary…
Sustainable Holiday Planning
The holidays are upon us and being green can require foresight. Americans throw away 25% more trash and 33% more…
This Thanksgiving Be Thankful, Not Wasteful
For many, Thanksgiving is a time filled with family gatherings, time-honored traditions, and, best of all, delicious food. However, did…
Voting Green—How Important Is It?
Many of us have made some positive green choices in how we live. However, according to polls, not many of…
Responsible Air Travel
Flights are extremely energy-intensive requiring on average a gallon of fuel per second while in the air. Commercial flights are…
Eco-Handwarmers
Winter is approaching, including cold ski days – what does one do about eco-friendly hand warmers? We know about the…
Happy (Green) Halloween!
It’s Halloween time! Unfortunately, this season is often marked by plastic-fibered, cheaply produced costumes, masks, and decorations that are made…
Efficient Home Heating
As the cold, snowy Park City winter approaches, there are a few things everyone can do to help improve sustainability.…
