Recycle Utah

Nonprofit Summit County, Utah Recycling Center

#energy efficiency

Sustainable Chocolate

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All food has an impact on the environment – some more than others. Have you ever thought
about our cherished chocolate? Sadly, it’s up there with meat and cheese in regards to carbon
impact. The more we educate ourselves about how to buy sustainably, the smaller the
environmental and ethical footprint we will leave.


Cocoa, or cacao, is the key ingredient in chocolate with 70% of it grown in West Africa, as well
as to Central and South America. Five million tons of cacao annually results in $100 billion in
global retail sales for this adored and sacred human treat. Other critical ingredients in chocolate are milk, sugar, and soy or sunflower lecithin.

What makes chocolate sustainable? It depends on how it was farmed. Particularly in West
Africa, cacao trees are grown on small farms run by individual families who cultivate, harvest,
ferment and dry the cacao beans. The equality of farmers considering child labor, fair pay,
discrimination, gender equality, and general assistance for better livelihoods is critical.
Greenhouse gas emissions primarily come from producing cocoa, milk, and sugar, all requiring land, resulting in deforestation. Milk requires water-intensive plants to feed land-intensive cows. Newer sustainable farming methods including shade trees, groundcover plants, hill or terrace planting to avoid soil erosion, rainwater storage, little or no pesticide use, agroforestry, and biodiversity. Such farming methods can also be more resilient to extreme drought and floods, enhanced by climate change. Transparent and reliable supply chains are also important.

While sometimes more expensive, look for “Fair Trade” and “Rainforest Alliance” certified
chocolate. Organic assures a chemical-free treat and buying local helps the footprint. Support
brands, manufacturers and retailers committed to the issues. Read labels and learn about the
company. Try different flavors! Then, stay tuned next for what to look for with sustainable
coffee options.

Republic/Waste Management Curbside Recycling Clarifications

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In July, we reviewed curbside recycling guidelines in a Green Tip. Everything in our curbside
recycling bin gets trucked to a huge Waste Management Materials Reprocessing Center in Salt
Lake, where it is dumped onto the tipping floor with tons of other recyclables and non-recyclable. contaminants. So begins its journey through a sophisticated network of conveyor belts and increasingly precise sorting machines until the different recyclable streams are pure, and can be compacted and baled to be shipped to factories and paper mills to make new products.

To make sure your curbside recycling stream is clean, follow these clarifications from Waste
Management and Republic Services. No waxy-coated paper take-out cups. No wax paper,
butcher or freezer paper. The waxy waterproofing is extremely difficult to extract from the paper pulping process and can ruin batches of paper at the mills. Recycle clean take-out plastic cups with their lids on. Coated cardboard milk or juice cartons are accepted.
Do not put anything smaller than a credit card in your bin. These items tend to fall through
screens and be improperly sorted. This is why lids need to be put on clean, dry containers. This also means no shredded paper. If you shred paper, it must be secured in a paper bag before it can go into the bin. Alternatively, use the paper shredder at Recycle Utah. All loose shredded paper needs to be put in their shredded paper dumpster there.


Hard plastics like plastic toys, household items, shelves, flower pots are not recyclable. Clean
balled-up (larger than credit card) aluminum foil is okay. No metal strapping or other metal
items. Tear off greasy parts of pizza boxes. No wet paper or cardboard. If a recycling bin
becomes uncovered during inclement weather and collects water or snow in it, it must
be emptied and dried.

Obviously, we play a crucial role in this planet-saving process. Successful recycling to
you!

By Bev Harrison

The Spookiest Part of Halloween – How to be More Sustainable with Halloween Costumes

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Halloween is such a fun and exciting time of the year for many! Halloween offers the chance to dress up as your favorite characters, indulge in (too much) candy, enjoy seasonal activities, and decorate the house. But have you ever wondered where all the halloween costumes,
decorations, and candy wrappers end up? Some people may reuse their costumes, share them with friends, or donate them, but many people don’t. Most people just throw away their single- use costume where it ends up sitting in the landfill, adding to a concerning amount of waste.

In the United States, over 35 million costumes are discarded each year. That is roughly 2,000
tons of plastic waste, equivalent to 83 million plastic bottles. The majority of Halloween
costumes are made of plastic polymer or non-recyclable oil-based plastics, which means they
are destined to end up in landfills. Polyester can take anywhere between 20-200 years to
decompose. On top of all that, 4 out of 10 costumes are worn only once.
Despite all of these spooky statistics, there are many creative alternatives to help reduce
Halloween waste and still enjoy all the festivities! First, instead of buying a brand-new costume, check out any local thrift stores that sell costumes such as the Christian Center, Savers, and Deseret Industries. You may be able to find used costumes for a much cheaper price. You may also find unique pieces and materials to create your own DIY (do it yourself) costume! A costume I have made in the past was a jellyfish using an umbrella I already had at home, LED lights, and some ribbon I bought at a thrift store. This costume does not take long to create and I only used materials I already had at home or small items that I will use again in the future.

This idea was not only eco-friendly, but very creative and unique. Another idea of how to be more eco-friendly is by swapping costumes with friends and family. This way, you are reusing costumes instead of throwing them away. Or you can swap certain parts of a costume to create your own one-of-a-kind costume! Maybe you are done with a costume and don’t know where else to put it, you can donate it to a nearby school for them to
use in school plays, or at a local thrift store.

By Elly Swartz

Change Your Driving Habits as the Seasons Change

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As the seasons are about to change, Utah’s mountains become a popular destination for
residents eager to witness the vibrant autumn colors. The diverse landscape here in Utah offers some of the most breathtaking fall colors and foliage, making it an ideal time and place for many outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, photography, and scenic drives. Some of the best places to visit are the Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons and Guardsman Pass, which all offer amazing views.

But how are you getting to these destinations? Every Utah resident is familiar with the frustration of dealing with traffic driving in and out of the canyons. Sitting in your car for hours is not something anyone wants to do especially when heading to and from events such as Snowbird’s Oktoberfest.

So what are simple, environmentally-friendly alternatives to driving? Carpooling and public
transportation are a great start! According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
driving/transportation is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Other
modes of transportation that result in direct emissions are trucks, ships, trains, and planes. A
study shows, “in 2022, direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions from transportation
accounted for 29% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions” (EPA).

So instead of driving up the canyons by yourself, carpool with your friends and family! It’s an
easy way to reduce your carbon footprint while also saving money on gas and parking. If driving does not work for you, you can always check out public transportation through the Utah Transit Authority (UTA). They provide a few apps you can download on your mobile device to track the public transit and the locations they stop at to reach your destination.
The next time you venture into Utah’s stunning mountains, consider switching to eco-friendly
transportation options. Not only will you lower your carbon footprint, but you’ll make the
journey more enjoyable. So, let’s embrace the changing seasons and create a cleaner
environment!

Laundry

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Laundry is something we all do habitually. Our washers and dryers are two of our household’s highest energy-consuming appliances, consistently running in our homes. A dose of creativity and change can not only save electricity, but also gas, waste and money. Read on for tips!

  1. Wash on cold. Heating water is responsible for more than 70% of a washer’s energy consumption. Ironically, some stains like sweat or blood can actually ingrain further into fabric in hot water vs cold water. Cold water washing also reduces wrinkles, fading and shrinkage.
  2. Upgrade to Energy Star. You can also look into heat pump dual washer/dryer options or a heat pump dryer. Efficiency is affected by design, age, and settings used. Run machines during ‘off-peak’ hours if possible, after 10 pm or mid-day.
  3. Ditch fabric softeners. They are an extra expense and can leave residue in the wash. Try old, faithful, and inexpensive white vinegar instead. Similarly, ditch dryer sheets and replace them with natural wool dryer balls to reduce static and drying time. Don’t forget to regularly clean the lint filter to maximize dryer efficiency!
  4. Reduce plastic waste by transitioning from large plastic jugs (often laden with chemicals) to washing sheets, tablets, pods, or eggs. After experimentation, my family settled on an egg in combination with homemade powder detergent.
  5. Re-wear clothes if possible before filling the washer load and use drying racks or clotheslines! Utah air dries clothes in no time and preserves quality.

Finally, how do we reduce microplastics (often from nylon, polyester, and acrylic clothing) from entering our laundry? The best options are to wash less, use full loads and cold water, use less detergent in front-loading washers, hang dry, use a microplastic filter bag or attachment filter, and buy more clothing made from natural materials.

Change is challenging. But like seasons, relationships, technology, or weather, change surrounds us. The time has come to step out of our habitual boxes and shake things up to grow with the times, for our planet, pocketbook, and health. Good luck and have fun!

By Mary Closser

Sustaining Environmental Excellence: The Costs Behind Recycle Utah

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In the heart of Park City, nestled among the mountains, lies Recycle Utah, your local nonprofit organization dedicated to environmental conservation through recycling and education. Recycle Utah accepts and processes over 45 different types of materials, from plastics and metals to electronics and hazardous waste. Behind the scenes of this important community resource lies a complex web of costs and financial challenges crucial for its continued operation.

Recycling is wonderful and is hugely beneficial to the community in both economic and environmental terms.  But it isn’t free.  Recycle Utah spends over $750,000 annually to run its facility, manage its recycling programs, and educate the community on sustainability. To cover these costs, it relies on several revenue streams. Annually, Recycle Utah receives approximately $185,000 in grants from local governments and foundations.  It also receives revenue from the sale of recyclable materials, which in 2023 generated revenue of about $55,000. Interestingly, although Recycle Utah can sell many of the materials it collects, in most cases the shipping costs it incurs are more than the revenue it receives from material sales. For instance, shipping costs exceeded revenue from glass recycling by $28,000 in 2023.   Recycle Utah also receives revenue from its Warehouse, which last year contributed an additional $90,000 through sales of used items.  The balance of its revenue, and the backbone of Recycle Utah’s financial sustainability, is the community itself.  Through donations and fundraising events, the organization secures approximately $420,000 annually. 

As Recycle Utah continues its mission to promote sustainability and environmental responsibility, the need for ongoing community support remains paramount. By donating, participating in fundraising events, or simply spreading awareness about the organization’s initiatives, individuals and businesses alike can contribute to the long-term viability of this community resource. Recycle Utah is an example of our community’s dedication to sustainability and the beauty of our natural environment. Through a blend of public support, community partnerships, and dedicated leadership, Recycle Utah not only facilitates recycling but also fosters a culture of sustainability that resonates deeply within Park City and beyond. Consider supporting Recycle Utah in its mission to create a cleaner, greener future for generations to come by donating next time you visit the center, or visit recycleutah.com/donate.

By Chelsea Hafer