Recycle Utah

Nonprofit Summit County, Utah Recycling Center

#home gardening

The Impact of Lawns on Climate Change

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Over 40 million acres of the United States are covered by lawns with two percent of land occupied by turf grass and $30 billion spent on lawn care. Lawns are indicators of socio-economic status in America and the culture surrounding lawns has created a unique but extreme threat to climate change and our carbon footprint. From the water to the fertilizers and equipment needed to maintain a well-kept, Americanized lawn, the toll on the environment is serious.

Most lawn equipment uses gasoline and are two-stroke or four-stroke engines. Thirty percent of the fuel in two-stroke engines don’t combust completely releasing high levels of exhaust emissions. While four-stroke engines are less harmful than two-stroke, one study found that a four-stroke engine running for an hour released emissions equivalent to a vehicle traveling for 500 miles. Five percent of total emissions in the United States are from lawn equipment with an average of 800 million gallons of fuel used annually and 17 million gallons of that spilled.

Interested in having a more environmentally friendly lawn? Here are a couple tips:

  1. Switch to electric lawn equipment! While electric equipment can cost more up front, you will save overtime by not having to maintain fuel. Electric lawn equipment is powerful, compact, and easy to use.
  2. Rather than planting turf grass that creates an artificial environment and stunts biodiversity in the local ecosystem, grow native plants on your lawn. Native grasses, flowers, and ground-cover plants require little maintenance and allow the local ecosystem to thrive.

By Addison Marr

Functional Turfgrass and Water-wise Landscaping

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Turfgrass is not always the “bad guy”—thirsty, hungry, and costly. It is a favorite place where we play and generally hang out. And functional turfgrass is an important part of a water-wise landscape.

Kelly Kopp, Professor, Extension Water Conservation and Turfgrass Specialist at Utah State University, emphasizes several environmental benefits of functional turfgrass. Its dense root system absorbs water and almost eliminates runoff. Less runoff helps protect water quality. An area of turfgrass moderates wind erosion of soil, traps pollen and dust, and reduces environmental noise. It moderates temperature levels and reduces energy used for home cooling.

How do you make your turfgrass functional?

  • Only use it in areas where it provides clear benefits.
  • Water your turf grass less. USU Extension estimates that the typical homeowner uses twice as much water as their turfgrass requires.
  • Choose a grass mix that is best suited to your area. Professor Kopp notes 3 distinct grass type zones in Utah.
  • For non-functional areas, consider using non-irrigated turfgrass that withstands drought stress—it will go dormant, turn brown and green up again when conditions improve.
  • Don’t plant turf grass in narrow areas where it cannot be efficiently watered.
  • Irrigate turf grass in areas separate from other plants which have different water needs and can be irrigated differently, e.g., by drip line.
  • Support water efficient grass through proper mowing and fertilizing.
  • Contact Elizabeth Cohen at elizabeth.cohen@usu.edu from the Summit County Extension Department for excellent information about all things landscaping.

By Bev Harrison

The Sustainability of Cooking

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Our daily lives consist of a lot of cooking, which can significantly impact the environment. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce our carbon footprint and contribute to saving the environment. These are some tips that can help you become eco-friendly when you are cooking:

Avoid single-use items: This includes disposable utensils, plates, and cups that end up in our landfills. If necessary, you can buy compostable and environmentally friendly substitutes or utilize reusable options.

Investing in an induction stove: These stoves are up to 10% more energy-efficient than electric stoves and three times more energy-efficient than standard gas stoves. Additionally, it is also better for your air quality. 

Disposing of cooking oil: Wait until your cooking oil has totally cooled before putting it in a metal can or plastic container instead of discarding it directly in the sink or the trash. You can then properly dispose of it in the trash after that. 

Reduce food waste: Meal planning for the week helps reduce the amount of food that is wasted unnecessarily. Furthermore, you can freeze or use your leftovers to create a new dish. 

Buy from local farmers: In addition to supporting local farmers, we can lessen our influence on the environment by supporting local farmers that grow their food without the use of pesticides and fertilizers. 

Together, we can reduce the environmental impact of our time spent in the kitchen!

By Miriam Flores

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

Protect Your Lungs

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The winter season in Utah is in full swing bringing an increase in pollution through inversions. The State of Utah also estimates that each year 19.3 metric tons of carbon dioxide are emitted per person into the atmosphere annually. These factors produce devastating impacts on our air quality, which can be harmful to our environment and health. 

Air pollution can affect us by impacting our heart and respiratory health. Chances of stroke, heart disease, and other illnesses become increasingly more likely due to poor air quality. 

Here are some of the ways that you can protect your lungs:

  • Fruits and Vegetables: Fruits and vegetables have been shown to contain phytonutrients that offer protection for the lungs, antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and other essential health benefits. Apples are one of the fruits proven to provide benefits such as reduced lung cancer and asthma risks. These can be a great addition to any diet!
  • Plants: Studies have shown that houseplants can clean your air by removing Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from your air. Some plants achieve this and are low maintenance, such as the peace lily, snake plants, English ivy, and dracaenas. 
  • Teas: Many types of teas have antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial properties that may improve our lung health. Tulsi, green, and turmeric tea are some of the best options!
  • Air Purifiers: Air purifiers can also be an excellent way to keep the air clean in your home. These devices are a great investment in monitoring your air quality while also cleaning your air by eliminating smoke, allergens, odors, and dust. 

By Miriam Flores

Preserving the Harvest

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It’s the height of harvest season which means an abundance of produce! Sometimes, a large harvest can result in food waste when not planned correctly. If you don’t know what to do with your harvest, try canning!

Food preservation, like canning, has been around for centuries and it wasn’t too long ago that these methods were common knowledge. Most home canning involves a method called water bath canning.  Supplies needed include a large pot, canning rack, unused mason jars, a jar lifter, and a funnel. Here are the basic steps:

  1. Boil the jars in water to sanitize them before filling them with produce.
  2. Once sanitized, fill a hot jar with prepared food (following a trusted canning recipe) using your funnel and make sure to leave some space.
  3. Wipe the rim and seal your jars with the lids, twisting the band securely.
  4. Place the jars onto a rack in a pot with simmering water, covering the jars with at least 1 inch of water. Boil jars according to your recipe (add more minutes for higher altitudes).
  5. Turn off the heat and let the jars sit for 5 minutes. Then, take the jars out and let them cool for a day.
  6. Check to make sure your jars are sealed properly!

Home canning is a great way to eat local all year long while also reducing food waste. Other great food preservation methods include pickling and canning. Check out USUS Extension’s Food Preservation Resources for more info at https://extension.usu.edu/preserve-the-harvest/canning !