Recycle Utah

Nonprofit Summit County, Utah Recycling Center

#greentips

Water In, Water Out: Reclaiming Wastewater

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According to Mike Luers, general manager of the Snyderville Basin Water Reclamation
District (SBWRD) they treat 4,000,00 gallons of wastewater per day; 5,000,000 gallons
per day during peak season. In 2022 the two local wastewater reclamation plant
treated 1.44 billion gallons of used water!


Our water is sourced from wells, springs, creeks, mine tunnels and the Echo Reservoir.
It’s provided to us by various water companies. We never own it. SBWDB “reclaims” it—
treats it, then discharges it into local streams. It flows into reservoirs and eventually, into
the Great Salt Lake. It’s an efficient ecological system.


According to Mike, there are several “habits that can help our local environment.”

  • Never flush down the toilet: “flushable” wipes, dental floss, tampons, condoms, toothpaste caps or other personal care products. This stuff doesn’t break down and either gets wrapped around the plant’s powerful pumps, or needs to be screened out of huge pipes before the treatment process begins. Throw these items in the trash!
  • Don’t pour grease and cooking oil down the drain. In pipes, grease hardens and oils form a putty-like substance. These may block pipes in your home and even cause raw sewage to back up. They can clog up the wastewater plant’s pipes. Put used grease and oil in a container and throw it in the trash!
  • Even though urine contains most of the pharmaceuticals in wastewater, flushing them down the toilet adds more. Our district’s reclamation plants use advanced treatment methods but pharmaceuticals cannot be removed. Discharged into streams, they are absorbed by fish and can affect their development. Take unused medications to a drop-off box at the Sheriff or Police Office, the Redstone Clinic, or one of Recycle Utah’s Hazardous Waste Days.
  • Mike would love to give you or your group a tour of our reclamation facility. Call him at (435) 649 – 7993, or email him at mluers@sbwrd.org.

By Bev Harrison

All About Bees

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After a long period of hibernating throughout the winter, bees are slowly starting to emerge

as spring is now upon us. Spring is a crucial time for bees as colonies begin forming and

new colonies appear again. As we face the climate change crisis, we now see a decline in

pollinator species such as butterflies, flies, beetles, and, most importantly, our honey bees.

Research has shown that harmful pesticides such as carbaryl have been a factor in the

decline of bees. However, the most significant impact of the decline is climate change

caused by global warming.

Estimates have shown that around 75% of the crops we grow for food depend on pollinators

to a certain extent. They play a prominent role in producing our food supply, so their

protection needs to be a priority.

Listed below are ways you can help our bees this season:

  • Using natural or organic pest control solutions is a great way to stop using pesticides. Neem oil is an excellent option, or you can make a DIY insecticidal soap.
  • Don’t get rid of your dandelions, at least until they bloom. Dandelions are a food source for bees that provide pollen and nectar.
  • Planting native flowers that thrive in your region attracts bees to your garden. Creating a bee garden will attract not only bees but other pollinators as well.
  • Purchasing organic honey items from your local beekeepers. Local beekeepers ensure bees are well cared for and support bee population growth.

We can work together to help save the bees!

By Miriam Flores

Small Appliances

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Your coffee machine or humidifier breaks, what should you do? Can it be recycled? Sadly, most small appliances contain an array of mixed materials, primarily hard plastic. Mixed materials cannot be recycled and often end up in our landfills. Such small appliances include hairdryers, dust busters, flashlights and more. The rule of thumb for recycling at Recycle Utah is your product needs to be at least 70% metal for it to qualify for a drop into the metal recycling bin.

What is there to do about all these plastic-infested appliances? First, prioritize quality. Pay more for products that will last longer. Second, inquire about the manufacturer having a ‘take back’ program once the product reaches its end. More businesses should be doing this, some have already started with this circular-economy concept. Third, try to purchase products with the 70% metal rule, or ones that can be taken apart to recycle the materials separately.

Examples of products containing mostly metal that can go into the Recycle Utah metal bin are toaster ovens, microwaves, stereos, and lawnmowers. Electronics can also be recycled, though larger items (computers, TVs, and printers) require a small fee. Working vacuum cleaners and other appliances (in addition to housewares, books, tools, and much more) can be resold in our Warehouse Thrift Store!

By Mary Closser

Enjoying Coffee Sustainably

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Context behind the Caffeine: Coffee began as a colonial system with a clear demarcation between producing countries and consuming countries. This unique plant disseminated from Africa can only grow in limited geographic regions, all of which are already experiencing the detrimental effects of climate change. Even as a scientific understanding of coffee has increased, the information disparity inherited from an exploitative past continues to impair the ability of the current generation of coffee farmers to operate genetically robust plantations while making a living that was never really afforded to them to begin with. Without change to this system it is estimated that only fifty percent of all land currently bearing coffee will remain arable for future use. What can you do? Stay educated and start small, here’s what to do with coffee packaging.

Bags: Industry standards for coffee bags entail an inner lining to keep coffee fresh and sometimes include the addition of a one-way valve and/or zipper. This amalgam of materials fused so inseparably is problematic when it comes to recycling. The plastic valve can often be removed and recycled as a small plastic, however, the bags themselves can only be processed by certain locations and thus have limited collection facilities. For Utah residents, Subaru sponsors collection facilities at the Nate Wade and Mark Miller dealerships. These are turned over to TerraCycle, a company dedicated to recycling tricky materials such as coffee packaging. There is a new type of coffee bag largely popularized by Biotre, with a paper/pulp exterior and plant based plastic interior. These can be recycled as a standard soft plastic in most cases.

Cans/Tins: Steel and aluminum cans/tins are completely recyclable in their respective metal recycling available to you.

Pods: Keurig K cups can be recycled with #5 plastic so long as the aluminum foil is removed. Nespresso pods have a lining in the aluminum and require proprietary recycling, drop off locations are found on their website. In short, go with a reusable option.

Alternatives: Bring your own container to the grocery store and use the dispensers they have there. Form a relationship with a local roaster and utilize their pick up in store feature but request to bring your own packaging.

Above all else, take a few minutes to dedicate to researching coffee’s origins, the people behind it, and the potential limits to the ethical and environmental sustainability of its continued production and consumption.

Join the Crowd of Local Free-Fare Transit Travelers

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Transit travelers are decreasing their carbon footprint by approximately 4 pounds of CO2 for each hour of drive time. (EPA). Since its launch in July 2021, Summit County’s High Valley Transit (HVT) ridership has grown to almost 1.5 million. People are taking 1000 daily rides on Micro-transit; they have made 14,000 bus trips between Park City and Heber City since November 2022.

To make transit convenient, learn how to use the HVT and MyStop (Park City) apps or use Google Maps. Click on trip planning and set your pick-up location and destination. In real-time, you’ll see different pick-up times at the nearest stop, the time it will take you to get there; the specific bus or buses you can take; and your arrival time.

Get a comprehensive Ride Guide, go to the bus schedules tab in the HVT app or the Park City Transit website (schedule and routes) to check out the different bus numbers and colors, and their scheduled arrival times at different stops. Understand that these are the times you can expect a bus to arrive at a stop under “normal” weather and traffic conditions, full employment, and a fully operational fleet.

Remember, peak traffic and inclement weather affect vehicle and transit travel alike. And because buses can legally travel in the breakdown lanes on routes 224 and 248, your actual bus travel time could be faster than driving during heavy traffic conditions.

Taking the bus may be comparable in time to driving your vehicle when you consider parking and walking to where you want to be. Try asking someone your transit questions. They just might tell you the information you need to take a ride.

Flavor Boosting Gold

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If you’ve already developed the household habit of collecting food scraps for compost, here is another benefit of diverting food waste from the landfill: homemade vegetable broth. Giving food scraps a second life by making broth is a way to reduce consumption of Tetra Pak cartons that are not recyclable in Utah. It is also a precursor to composting, reducing emissions of methane, a harmful greenhouse gas from food waste in landfills.

Keep rinsed vegetable scraps in the freezer, controlling any odor in a cold environment until you have collected enough for broth (a full bowl). Bring all the scraps to a boil in a large pot, adding spices and salt. Get creative with this- try making different broths for various types of recipes. Once up to a boil, reduce to a simmer for as long as you can while not leaving it unattended, an hour or two is ideal. Let the broth cool on its own with the lid on and heat off. Once it cools completely, strain and fill jars about 80% full so that the liquid does not crack the glass when it freezes and expands. Toss the vegetables into your compost.

This new habit is easy to create for your whole family. As you teach children to collect ingredients for broth – inspire them to gather “flavor boosting gold.”  Allow them to be the ones to label the 32-64 oz mason jars with the date and ingredients of that batch of broth.

By Kellie Hill, EATS Park City