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We’ve all seen it—cups, cutlery, and takeout containers proudly stamped with the word “compostable.” It sounds like a guilt-free green choice, but here’s the inconvenient truth: most so-called compostable products are never actually composted.

A recent CBC Marketplace investigation tested a variety of compostable products and found that many failed to break down as promised. Instead, they ended up in landfills where, without oxygen or the right microbial conditions, they simply sit there. That’s because composting isn’t just about what something is made of—it’s about where it ends up.

True composting is an aerobic (oxygen-rich) process. When food scraps and compostable materials are exposed to air, heat, and microorganisms, they transform into nutrient-rich soil. But in a landfill, waste is buried under layers of trash where oxygen is limited. That anaerobic environment causes materials, even compostable ones, to decompose slowly if at all—releasing methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

Many “compostable” materials, such as PLA (polylactic acid), require the high heat of an industrial composting facility to actually decompose. Without that infrastructure, “compostable” becomes little more than greenwashing.

The good news? Residents and businesses along the Wasatch Back have access to a solution. Through the Zero Food Waste Curbside Collection program, a partnership between Momentum Recycling and the Park City Community Foundation, food waste and accepted compostable materials are collected right at the curb and taken to Wasatch Resource Recovery’s anaerobic digester in North Salt Lake.

There, microorganisms break down organic matter in an oxygen-free environment, converting it into renewable natural gas and nutrient-rich fertilizer. If those same items went into your regular trash, they’d only contribute to methane emissions in the landfill.

Food waste makes up an estimated 40–60% of landfill space at Summit County’s Three-Mile Landfill. By diverting it, we reduce methane, create fertilizer, and extend the life of the landfill. As of January, Park City Community Foundation estimated local participation had already eliminated 18.1 tons of methane.

So next time you grab a coffee cup labeled “compostable,” ask yourself: Will it actually be composted? If the answer is no—it’s still trash. However, if you’re part of the local composting program, you’re turning waste into something that truly gives back to the earth.

Park City’s curbside composting program is a simple, impactful way to close the loop—and it’s free for new customers until the end of the year! If you prefer, you can also now drop off food waste at Recycle Utah whenever they’re open.

Learn more or sign up at parkcitycf.org/zerofoodwaste/curbsidecollection.

By Kimberly Flores, co-founder, fulFILLed Lifestyle Co.

Recently, the use of ChatGPT has skyrocketed. While ChatGPT is useful and educates people about various topics every day, it actually has an extremely harmful effect on the environment, more than other search engines. ChatGPT’s hidden environmental costs are often ignored, and it is important that we recognize them before the use of this AI tool advances even more.

While it is true that ChatGPT promotes creativity, its use requires massive amounts of energy for just a simple prompt or question. Every generated paragraph runs on vast amounts of electricity, which requires tons of water to stay cool and not overheat. These data centers are filled with thousands of computers that produce the prompts requested by users. When these computers are constantly active, they expel a lot of heat, making it necessary for something to cool them down: water. As the demand for ChatGPT prompts escalates, immense amounts of water are being wasted. Studies show that ChatGPT specifically uses the most energy compared to other search engines, and it is important to spread awareness of the negative effects of this increasingly popular tool.

Here are a few simple ways to reduce energy and water waste from ChatGPT:

• Decipher whether using AI is really necessary for the task before generating.
• Support search engines/tech companies that use renewable energy to power their servers.
• Delete the ChatGPT app off your device.

By Sadie Bretts

A letter, the third in a four-part series…

My Kin, I often think about your quality of life and health as I live my own with joy. What we do now will affect you, and I’m trying to be aware and choose my actions with this knowledge. I often think about water consumption and how we abuse it–I sure hope there’s enough left for you. Our fossil fuels use heaps of water, not to mention our sports including golf, skiing, field play, and more. We use so much in our homes, on our grass lawns, and to grow our food. I think of you daily when minimizing my showers and wearing clothes more than once before washing. But I know we could all do better. 

My Kin, our generation likes stuff. We buy many goods: clothing, furniture, and sporting goods, all of which require water to make. Do you know that a pair of jeans can use over 1,000 gallons of water to manufacture? Fortunately, thrift and consignment stores are becoming popular so our consumptive society can purchase used goods. We just need to buy less, use less, live simply… for you. 

My Kin, I know our agriculture systems could be more efficient–by improving soil, water methods, rotating crops, and more–but our government needs to better support these progressive methods. Our society eats an abundance of meat, which requires vast amounts of water to grow food for livestock. The good news is that more restaurants are offering vegetarian and vegan options, and I know people are trying to eat healthier. Buying local foods and growing our own is also helpful, but what we can grow in Utah is limited. 

My Kin, our planet is warming up, resulting in less snow and more fires. Water is getting trickier to clean, too, with all our medicines and chemicals. I try to buy natural products and organic produce, but our society seems to have so many demanding diseases and conditions, and organics can be expensive. 

My Kin, I think often about what I have now–clean water and air, trees, wild animals, land, and food–and I can only hope you’re experiencing the same. Please know we are all trying… 

By Mary Closser

Park City, Utah (November 21, 2025) – Recycle Utah is pleased to announce that Andy Hecht has been selected as the organization’s next Executive Director, beginning January 1, 2026. Hecht was chosen from a highly qualified pool of local candidates.

Hecht currently serves as Climate Fund Manager at the Park City Community Foundation, where he leads community partnerships to expand food-waste diversion. His experience coordinating local governments, haulers, schools, and businesses toward zero-waste goals makes this transition to Recycle Utah a natural next step. “I’m honored to join Recycle Utah at such a pivotal moment,” Hecht said. “This organization has been a trusted environmental leader for decades, and I’m excited to help build on that legacy.”

Recycle Utah Board Chair Ken Barfield highlighted Hecht’s leadership and community experience. “We’re thrilled to welcome Andy as our new Executive Director. He brings strong nonprofit expertise and a proven ability to build teams. Andy will guide Recycle Utah through our upcoming relocation after 35 years in our current facility, and our community is fortunate to have him at the helm.”

Hecht steps in during a year of transition. Executive Director Carolyn Wawra stepped down in January, and General Manager Jim Bedell provided steady interim leadership through September. Recycle Utah expressed gratitude for their service and commitment.

Looking ahead, Recycle Utah is preparing for a major move to Lot 4, where a new facility will be constructed after a recent agreement with Park City Municipal and Summit County. The expansion will allow the organization to grow recycling services, community outreach, and environmental education. Hecht shared, “I’ve seen how powerful community-led environmental action can be here in Summit County. I’m grateful for the opportunity to help amplify that work.”

A letter, the second in a four-part series…

My Kin, I think often about your quality of life and health as I live my own with joy. What we do now will affect you, and I’m trying to be aware and choose my actions with this knowledge. I hope your energy systems are cleaner and more efficient than what we use now for heat, electricity, transportation, and more. It’s contradictory that AC demand grows as our planet warms and more people need it. And now we have Artificial Intelligence, which only adds to our dirty demand.

My Kin, our cars are slowly improving, with more electric and hybrids on the road, in addition to electric bikes. Years ago, I used my own energy to bike everywhere, but we humans have become lazy and desire convenience. I know I should take the bus more–especially when they’re all electric and sun-powered. Maybe you have returned to horse and buggies for transportation? It would be cleaner. 

My Kin, I sometimes wonder about how airplanes fit into your generation. Humans today scoot themselves around the globe for work and pleasure, though they can’t be good for our planet long-term. They’re trying to improve airplanes by making them lighter and using sustainable fuels, but we’re constantly in the air. I try hard, my kin, to fly minimally and take more road trips, but flying is just so convenient. 

My Kin, our homes are gas hogs as we wait for electricity (powered by renewable energy) to reduce in price. Many people cook food with gas ovens and wash clothes and dishes using gas connections. We know this isn’t clean… we’re trying to change. Some people have ‘smart’ thermostats for their homes, driveways, roofs, and more. I’ve adjusted to keeping my heat low when it’s cold and wearing slippers and sweaters, in addition to only washing dishes and clothing when the loads are full. Then there’s bathing. We understand that both water and natural gas are used for our excessive bathing habits, including hot tubs. We have so many luxuries–I hope you do too?

My Kin, I think often about what I have now–clean water and air, trees, wild animals, land, and food–and I can only hope you’re experiencing the same. Please know we are all trying… 

By Mary Closser

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, online video streaming for work has become increasingly popular. Since the conclusion of the pandemic, the popularity of Zoom and video conferences has continued steadily on, bringing with it the bonus of carbon reductions for travel to meetings. While Zoom meetings do typically mean less carbon emissions from people driving or flying to meet with coworkers, video conferencing is not completely free of carbon cost. 

A 2021 study by Purdue University found that one hour of video conferencing produced anywhere from 150-1,000 grams of CO2 per hour. In comparison, the average mid-size car burns about 400-500 grams of CO2 per mile of driving. Conservatively calculated, this means that if you drive more than 5 miles for an in-person meeting, it’s typically more beneficial to participate in a Zoom call. While these numbers indicate that it is still most environmentally friendly to participate in Zoom meetings for conferences that require travel, they do indicate that the carbon and energy savings from unnecessary Zoom meetings leave something to consider. 

This same study found that turning off your camera during conference meetings could reduce the energy consumption of the call by up to 96%. “Turning off your camera” requires no special action when setting up the Zoom call. The energy consumption rates will decrease according to how many participants have their cameras turned off. If all participants have their cameras off, the call will stream via audio only–similar to a phone call–putting less strain on data centers. 

Researchers also estimated that streaming in regular definition, rather than high definition, reduced energy consumption by up to 85%. This estimation holds true not only for video streaming from Zoom, but also Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, and all other forms of active video streaming.  

In addition to energy consumption, streaming services also consume a significant amount of water. The data centers that process streaming services use water to cool processing rooms. Increased strain on these data centers means more heat generation, and thus more water required for the cooling process. If possible, turning off your camera during meetings and encouraging co-workers to do the same is a great way to reduce your personal and professional ecological footprint! 

By Mia Moore