Recycle Utah

Nonprofit Summit County, Utah Recycling Center

#recycle utah

Utah’s Water Crisis

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Utah is the second driest state in the U.S., with a rare closed water system where northern Utah’s water recycles through the Great Salt Lake (GSL) instead of flowing to the ocean. This water cycle, along with our unique basin geography, is what gives Utah “The Greatest Snow on Earth”.

Much of Utah’s water comes from mountain snowmelt. In Salt Lake City, about 45% of snowmelt runoff is diverted into the water system—80% of which goes to agriculture, and almost half used solely for growing alfalfa. Alfalfa, a crop fed to cows and other livestock, grows quickly and has high yields, but it also uses a lot of water. This water diversion is the major contributor to the GSL shrinking more with each passing year.

As the lake dries, toxic metals like arsenic and mercury from the lakebed become airborne, threatening the health of people up to 500 miles away. If trends continue, the GSL could dry up within a decade.

In the past, the state government has offered few incentives for farmers to switch to water-saving farming methods. However, in 2020, the Department of Agriculture introduced the Water Optimization Program, which has distributed $65 million in grants for farmers to implement water-saving measures. The program is in its early stages, and most scientists agree that immediate, more drastic measures must be taken to stop the shrinking of the GSL and reduce Utah’s drought risk. However, with public support and increased funding, the program could make a huge difference.

To learn how to save water at home, visit the Utah DNR Water Conservation Website. For info on GSL advocacy, go to GrowTheFlowUtah.org or SaveOurGreatSaltLake.org.

Data sourced from the Utah Department of Natural Resources.

By Mia Moore

Shop Smart, Shop Green: Sustainable Online Ordering

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Online ordering—we all do it. It’s simple, satisfying, and incredibly convenient. One friend jokes that her husband even orders band-aids online just because he can. In 2020 alone, e-commerce sales jumped by $244 billion—a 43% increase over 2019.

The reason? COVID-19. We were fortunate to have the online option when we needed it, but now it’s 2025. Is it time to reassess the sustainability of our habitual finger-tapping versus the benefits of keeping it local? Buying local often has a lower environmental impact—mainly due to reduced transportation emissions and less packaging.

Additionally, buying local supports our local economy and community services with tax revenue versus benefitting another state’s budget. Consolidating errands or using public transit, walking, or biking to shop locally reduces the footprint even more versus long distances in gas-guzzling cars to pick up a single item. However, online ordering is sometimes necessary and it’s important to know how to optimize it. It’s easy to get carried away online—impulse buying, over-ordering, and then returning items. And with every return comes another truck on the road, adding to emissions! The biggest culprit behind the environmental cost of online shopping is speed. Rush delivery—from one hour to two days—creates serious inefficiencies. Delivery companies can’t afford to wait for all items to arrive at once, so they ship products piecemeal. Trucks head out half-full, increasing both traffic and emissions.

In summary:
● Make phone calls before driving around if in search of a specific item
● Be patient – Forego the ‘Need it Now’ mentality
● Plan smart for errands/distance to stores
● Only buy what you need
● Consider the packaging (Is it minimal? Reusable? Recyclable? Compostable?)
● Buy multiple things at once that can go into a single box vs piecemeal

Here’s to sustainable and smart shopping!

By Mary Closser

Water Conservation in the Yard

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Utah is the second driest state in the U.S., making water conservation critical to the sustainability of our communities. While most of our water goes to agriculture in Utah, there are still important ways you can help save water in your own homes, starting with your lawns and gardens!

One of the most effective methods is xeriscaping, a landscaping approach using drought-resistant, water-wise plants that thrive in dry climates. Xeriscaping is growing in popularity across the state, thanks in part to the Utah Landscape Conservation Incentive Program from the Utah Division of Natural Resources. This program offers financial incentives to residents who convert traditional lawns into water-efficient landscapes. To learn more or apply, visit conservewater.utah.gov/landscape-rebates.

If you’re unable to re-landscape, there are still effective ways to reduce water use in your yard. For one, water your lawn during the cooler parts of the day, ideally before 10 a.m. or after 7p.m., when less water is lost to evaporation. Many sprinkler systems can be set on a timer for convenience—just make sure they’re aimed at your lawn and not watering sidewalks or driveways.

Drip irrigation systems are another way to save on water consumption and avoid evaporation. These systems involve installing a small tube running up to an inch below the dirt to release water at a steady rate closer to the roots of the plants. Similarly, Olla’s are used to deliver water directly to the roots of plants in situations in which drip irrigation may not be ideal. This ancient technique involves burying a terracotta pot in the soil and filling it with water; the porous terracotta leaks the water to the roots of the plants at a steady rate and no water is lost to evaporation. Ollas can be purchased at many garden centers, or you can repurpose old terracotta pots on hand.

Whether you’re an experienced gardener or a casual lawn caretaker, there are many easy ways to help conserve water in Summit County. Every drop counts—do your part to make a difference!

By Mia Moore

Sustainable Summer Travel

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As the leaves start to bloom across Park City, we are all getting excited about summer fun! Whether you’re camping, going for a trip domestically or internationally, or even just relaxing at home, we all must maintain sustainable habits during the summer months. Summer is a time or travel, and while most of us will not take our overseas voyages by sailboat like Greta Thunberg, there are still plenty of ways to make our travel a little more eco-friendly.

These choices include (but are not limited to) the following:
● Walk and bike! In the warm parts of the year, walking and biking is an excellent method
of travel short distances, while providing much-needed endorphins!
● While camping or hiking, make sure you abide by the rules of the park or area by being
vigilant when making and extinguishing fires, and staying on the trails so you don’t tread
on growing vegetation.
● Use public transportation whenever possible.
● Carpool with friends and family to your destinations!
● If available, take the train! Trains, in most cases, are more sustainable than planes and
buses.
● If you’re traveling abroad, fly with airlines that are actively reducing their emissions through the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), such as Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines.

Separately, we must also remember to maintain basic sustainable habits during the summer, such as sorting our trash into recycling and composting, limiting the use of single-use items (use reusable containers instead), thrift summer clothes, and reducing meat and water consumption.

By Grayson Rae

Keep Plastic Bags Out of Our Landfill!

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In Summit and Wasatch counties, residents have several convenient options for recycling soft plastics—the stretchy, scrunchable materials often used for bags and packaging. These include grocery and produce bags, bread and frozen food bags, zip-locks, toilet paper and dry-cleaning bags, bubble wrap, mailers, and more. While all of these items are recyclable, they should not be placed in your curbside recycling bin. Instead, they require special handling.

One option is to drop your soft plastics at Walmart or Smith’s, both of which participate in nationwide Store Drop-off Recycling programs. Look for the green bins near the store entrances. Simply collect your clean and dry soft plastics, place them into a single plastic bag, tie it shut, and deposit it in the bin. Each bin lists acceptable items on the side. The collected plastics are baled by Walmart and Smith’s and sent off to be repurposed. Walmart partners with various shippers to transport the waste to recycling plants, where it’s processed and made into new products like composite lumber and plastic bags. Smith’s specifically collaborates with Trex, the country’s largest producer of wood-alternative decking made from recycled plastics. See plasticfilmrecycling.org for more information.


A third option for Summit County residents is Recycle Utah in Park City. Bring your soft plastics to the “Soft Plastics” bin located inside the plastics tent. The collected material is baled and sent to a materials recovery facility in Salt Lake City, then transported to a plant in Morgan, Utah, where it’s converted into fuel used in cement production.

All three options help divert soft plastics from our landfills and give them a second life in useful products. However, it’s essential to recycle correctly. Any contamination—like food residue or unaccepted items—can cause an entire load to be rejected and sent to the landfill instead. So make sure your items are clean, dry, and approved for recycling. Every small effort adds up to a big impact when it comes to protecting our environment.

By Bev Harrison

Be Container Conscious: Skip the Trash, Bring Your Stash!

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Next time you grab a coffee or a takeout meal, consider bringing your own cup, container, and utensils—this small commitment cuts waste, saves resources, and keeps your food fresher! Takeout packaging is wasteful and costly. Paper is always best (if it can tear in two directions, it can be recycled as paper). Hard plastic is second, and Styrofoam takes a lonely last place -landfill! The paper and hard plastic must be 90% clean of contamination to be recyclable. Yet, studies show many plastics leach into food and then stay in our bodies—another great
reason to go reusable. One Park City resident shared: “Ever since I started bringing my own cup and containers for takeout, I’ve noticed how much less waste I create. Plus, my coffee stays hotter longer, and my meals taste fresher without the chemicals from disposable packaging.”

There is no health issue involved with bringing your own to-go containers, as long as the food is transferred at the table (versus the restaurant kitchen). And, if you are eating at home, be sure to say “NO” to extra condiments, utensils, and items that become instant trash. If you order online or call it in, make your requests known!

Make it easy. Stash a clean container, cup, and utensils in your bag or car. Can you make this habit in the same way we do with our reusable bag at the grocery? Set the trend and others will follow – model it. You will:
● Reduce waste and pollution from single-use throwaway items
● Avoid flimsy, disposable landfill-bound cutlery
● Keep your food and drinks tasting fresh and free from PFAS and other toxins

Lead as a business: Park City restaurants and cafes can support customers who bring their own containers. Here are some easy ways businesses can encourage reusables:
● Offer discounts for BYO cups & containers
● Post fun reminder signs and offer incentives: “BYO & Save Some Dough!”
● Train staff to handle reusables while following food safety guidelines
Change is hard.

Habits are challenging to create, but our unified choices will start to add up!
Let’s keep Park City clean, green, and waste-free—one reusable at a time.

By Jill Donello