Recycle Utah

Nonprofit Summit County, Utah Recycling Center

Energy

Why Switching to Electric Appliances is a Smart Choice

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As more homeowners seek sustainable and cost-effective ways to improve their homes, switching from gas to electric appliances is becoming increasingly popular. The benefits extend beyond your wallet—they also positively impact the environment, your health, and your home’s functionality.

Electric appliances, especially when powered by renewable energy, significantly reduce carbon emissions. Unlike natural gas, which produces carbon dioxide and methane, electricity can come from clean sources like solar and wind. By switching to electric, homeowners contribute to combating climate change while supporting a greener energy future.

Beyond environmental benefits, electric appliances create healthier living spaces. Gas stoves and heaters emit pollutants like nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide, which can harm indoor air quality and respiratory health. Electric alternatives eliminate combustion inside the home, making them safer for families. Induction cooking is particularly transformative, using magnetic energy to heat pots and pans directly. Induction stoves cook faster, offer precise temperature control, and are safer since the cooktop stays cool to the touch. Their professional-level performance and sleek design quickly make them a favorite among home chefs.

Modern electric appliances, such as induction stoves and heat pump water heaters, are also highly energy-efficient, lowering utility bills over time. Heat pumps provide heating in the winter and cooling in the summer, an added bonus for homes in Park City, where air conditioning was often left out of older homes. With summers becoming hotter and wildfire smoke driving people indoors, cooling has become increasingly essential.

Many states, including Utah, offer rebates and incentives to help offset the costs of transitioning to electric appliances. Making the switch isn’t just about upgrading your home; it’s about creating a healthier, more sustainable, and cost-effective future.

Learn more about home electrification on Tuesday, Dec. 11 from 4:30 to 6:30 at the Park City Library. Hear from those who have built all-electric homes and others who are  transitioning step by step.

By Tracy Harden 

Local Dark Skies Ordinances Deadline Nears

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Eighty percent of the world’s population, and 99 percent of Americans and Europeans, live with some amount of light pollution. This excessive artificial nighttime light adversely affects the health and behavior of humans and other animals. It obscures views of the vast and starry nighttime sky. It wastes precious electricity from all sources and increases use of fossil fuels.

Nighttime light attracts or repels animals affecting their feeding, predatory, and breeding behaviors. Its glow causes a loss of safe habitat. Birds, insects, reptiles, amphibians and mammals are all affected. In our community, abundant wildlife and the nighttime visual environment are cherished parts of residents’ daily lives and visitors’ unique experiences. Several years ago Park City and Summit County leaders committed to lowering our energy footprint. To preserve dark skies, they also adopted ordinances into existing codes which require all businesses and residents, not only new construction, to reduce their artificial light pollution with a compliance deadline set for Dec. 31, 2024.

DarkSky International, established in 1988, led the movement to reduce light pollution globally. Dark sky requirements seek to reduce glare and light spillage. In order to do this, Summit County and Park City require the use of downward-pointing, fully-shielded outdoor light fixtures. These target light rather than flood an area wastefully and obtrusively with it. Warm whites or amber bulbs of 3,000K or less are also required. Motion sensors, timers and dimmers are recommended to increase efficiency.

Regarding outdoor seasonal displays, residential lights are permitted from November 1 to March 1, and must be turned off by 11 pm. City and County staff have found no grants currently available offering rebates for dark sky-friendly lighting. They continue to focus on educating the public about the nighttime lighting ordinances and dark sky-friendly products and practices. Enforcement of the ordinances begins with residents’ education, on a complaint basis.

There are differences between the Snyderville Basin, Eastern Summit County and Park

City codes. To learn more about their dark sky ordinances, visit summitcountyutah.gov/2474/Dark-Skies and engageparkcity.org/dark-sky

By Bev Harrison

Used Cooking Oils: Don’t Send Them Down the Drain, Recycle!

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Have you ever wondered what to do with leftover cooking oil after frying or sautéing? It’s
tempting to pour it down the drain, but this can cause major plumbing and environmental issues.

Cooking oils can solidify in your pipes over time, which can cause blockages in municipal sewer systems and costly repairs. Additionally, oil in water systems can be harmful to local wildlife. So how should you dispose of your used cooking oils? At Recycle Utah, we encourage
you to drop them off at our center, where it is sent to Beck’s Sanitation and repurposed as
biodiesel. When you drop off your used cooking oil, it is transported to a facility where food
particles and water are filtered out. Once the oil meets strict specifications, it is sold to biodiesel producers. Finally, it is turned into B-99, a fuel that is 99% biodiesel and can be blended into different fuel mixes like B-5 (5% biodiesel) and B-20 (20% biodiesel).

Not only is biodiesel renewable, but it also produces significantly fewer greenhouse gasses
compared to petroleum-based diesel. Biodiesel originates from plants (like soybean and palm) which absorb atmospheric CO2 as they grow. This partially offsets the emissions they create as they are burned for fuel. Additionally, their combustion emits fewer sulfur oxides and particulate matter.

Biodiesel is also biodegradable, breaking down in only a fraction of the time as fossil fuels in the event of a spill. This reduces the risk when it comes to ecosystems and waterways. Though cooking oils can be recycled effectively through this process, we encourage you to be mindful of how much oil you are using, and opt for low-oil cooking options whenever possible. Air fryers can be a great option for reducing your oil usage!

By recycling your used cooking oil, you are not just keeping waste out of landfills; you are
helping to create a renewable fuel that powers vehicles while minimizing environmental impact. Next time you are at Recycle Utah, consider the role you play in supporting a greener future and drop off your oils in the collection barrel located next to the metal dumpster and aluminum can collection station. The collection barrel is open from mid April to mid-November.

By Elsa Kerr

Stay Cool In The Summer Heat

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When it heats up outside, Americans spend big bucks to cool off. Our love of the air conditioner costs us about $29 billion a year, using 183 billion kilowatt-hours. And, while those air conditioners are cooling off our house, they are helping to heat up our earth by releasing over 117 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the air annually. Save money and keep cool with a few simple steps:

  • Use window coverings to your advantage. If you’re not home during the day, close all window curtains and blinds to keep your house cool for as long as possible.
  • Use the ceiling fan even if the air conditioner is on! The average ceiling fan costs less than a penny an hour to run and can make you feel 3-8 degrees cooler, so you can turn your AC a few degrees higher. Set your ceiling fan to rotate counter-clockwise, to increase the airflow.
  • Pay attention to your appliance usage. Appliances such as irons, washers, and dryers can add significant heat to the inside of your home. Use these appliances at night or early in the morning to avoid adding big sources of heat to your home during the hottest hours of the day. Consider eliminating the dryer and using a clothesline.
  • Consider changing your light bulbs. Incandescent light bulbs waste about 90% of their energy in heat. Switching to compact fluorescent or LED bulbs will keep your home cooler and your energy bills lower.

Heat Pumps

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A recent U.S. Department of Energy report states that space heating (and cooling) is the number one use of energy in our homes, resulting in high bills and consequential pollution. No doubt a ‘heat pump’ has entered your mind as an option to replace your fading furnace, but you’re worried about its cost and capacity to perform in cold weather. In reality, heat pumps are a cost-effective and energy efficient replacement for old heating and cooling systems.

Heat pumps use less energy to heat (or cool) homes and save money on bills (up to $1,000/year), in addition to reducing CO2 emissions from natural gas. They are dual functioning, meaning they heat in the winter and cool in the summer, so no need for a separate AC. They use electricity to transfer heat into and out of your home. Even if electricity is drawn from coal (still 60% of the U.S.A.), the emissions are less than a gas furnace, similar to an electric car being powered by coal instead of gas.

Cost varies depending on heat pump type, house size and local climate. It could cost up to $14,000 including installation, though the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) offers rebates up to $8,000 and tax credits up to $2,000. New technologies have drastically improved allowing heat pumps to work in cold temperatures below -10 degrees F. Finally, if you decide a heat pump isn’t right for you, other systems are available, like mini heat pumps, mini-splits, or hybrid dual-fuel heat pump systems. Tax credits and rebates from the IRA bill are also available for certain systems.

Gas furnaces typically last 10-30 years, depending on quality and maintenance. If you’re within that range, it’s time to consider electric heating options. Summit County is on track to be powered by renewables by 2030 through the Utah Renewable Communities program established by HB 411 in 2019. As heat pump technologies change, users also should adapt. Now is a great time to start researching trained contractors and the appropriate electric heating and cooling system best suited for your home – next stop is your water heater! Utah Clean

Energy (utahcleanenergy.org) is a wonderful resource for the energy-curious consumer.

By Mary Closser

The Environmental Burden of Balloons

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When I was little, I remember stepping out of a birthday party with my balloon. It slipped out of my hand and floated away, never to return. I now know that this mistake could have deadly consequences for marine life and ecosystems. Balloons have become a prominent symbol of the culture of celebration. However, most people don’t think about the fact that any time a balloon escapes into the sky, it can lead to many unintended consequences for marine life.

Pollution from balloons actually accounts for some of the ocean’s deadliest trash. Balloons (including latex and mylar balloons) take a long time to break down in the ocean, contributing to plastic pollution. As balloons gradually break down they turn into smaller pieces of colorful plastic that resemble food for marine life; the digested plastic has detrimental effects on the digestive system. Statistics show that ingestion of soft plastics (for example: balloons) often does more bodily damage than hard plastics in marine animals, although both are a critical problem. Over many years, balloons can eventually break down into microplastics, which can build up in marine animals, some of which are eventually eaten by humans. Additionally, the strings of balloons are capable of entangling and suffocating or drowning marine animals. It is estimated that over 100,000 marine animals die annually because of plastic pollution.

So what can we do about this issue? The most straightforward and effective action is to stop using balloons and supplement them for other decorations and materials. Try using bubbles, biodegradable confetti, or even natural materials like rocks, shells, and leaves for creative crafts and decorations. While it may be fun to celebrate with balloons, the long-term environmental effects outweigh the benefits.

By Grayson Rae