Recycle Utah

Nonprofit Summit County, Utah Recycling Center

#recycle utah

Cosmetics and the Environmental Working Group

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Before slathering your moisturizer on your face or applying your new mascara, I would invite your first to ask, “What exactly am I about to place on my skin?”. Today, the Food Drug Administration does not require safety testing for ingredients in our skincare and makeup products. Many products on the market today may contain toxic chemicals such as Formaldehyde, a well-known carcinogen.

Luckily, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) released an app called Healthy Living which allows you to confirm if a product is EWG VERIFIED. EWG verification is based on their Skin-Deep database, which provides consumers with information on personal care products. Using the data from this database, the Healthy Living app allows you to find products based on the organization’s strict standards that ensure safety from chemicals on their “Unacceptable” list. The list includes ingredients that concern our health, contamination, and ecotoxicity. By knowing your product is EWG VERIFIED, you can ensure transparency in ingredients based on decades of research. 

To use the app, simply tap scan at the bottom of the page, scan your product’s barcode, and receive an overall rating. From there, you can further explore individual ingredients to find their rating and use. Additionally, the app offers data on food and household cleaning products. 

The EWG is an activist group founded in 1993 that conducts research and advocacy work focused on protecting public health. EWG has made great strides in fighting against damaging agricultural practices and outdated legislation. Their website EWG.org offers not only information on personal care products but also food, water, energy, and more!

By Miriam Flores

Recycled Metal is Always Precious

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Metals are elements mined from ores. Unlike glass and plastics which are produced from natural resources, we can’t make more metal like iron, aluminum, lead, copper. That keeps the demand and value of used metal high. Nearly all metals are infinitely recyclable without degradation. Scrap metal dealers pay recyclers for their scrap metal. They haul Recycle Utah’s mixed metal dumpster to a scrap metal yard where it is sorted, separated from non-metallic material, crushed, and compacted into large blocks. These are transported to a steel mill where they are melted in furnaces into metal sheets and ingots. We should be diligent about recycling metal. Recycled metal is vastly cheaper than mining ore. It significantly reduces manufacturers’ use of natural resources and energy. It provides recyclers some steady income.

So, what metals go into our curbside recycling bins? If it’s metal and food came in it, put it in your bin and make sure it is 90% clean. Labels do not need to be removed. Recycle aluminum cans, trays, pans, and foil. Keep top tabs attached to or inside crushed cans. Put steel and tin cans, metal bottles and caps into your bin as well.

What goes into Recycle Utah’s metals dumpster? Any non-hazardous item containing at least 70% metal! For example: washers, dryers, stoves, microwaves, bed frames, bikes, grills, cast and wrought iron, cans, golf clubs, tools, and car parts.

By Bev Harrison

Reach Out for Sustainably-Produced Goods

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Demand for recycled materials fluctuates over time. Now, because the demand for cardboard is low, our local recyclers are paying to have it stored. However, cardboard continues to be
diverted from the landfill by our local recyclers and that is an important consideration. (Like food waste, cardboard is biodegradable, and as such, produces methane gas as it breaks down.)

One market trend that remains is consumers opting to purchase sustainably-produced goods.
Sustainable shopping feels good. It reflects our concerns about the environment at a time of
dramatic climate change, visible increases in land, air, and water pollution, a growing
scarcity of natural resources, a decrease in animal populations, and increasing reports of the ill effects of chemical additives to a wide range of products. Our buying more sustainably-
produced goods put pressure on retailers to purchase a larger amount and variety of recycled material. It creates new and different jobs and fosters research and product development.

In order to bolster their authenticity, loyalty, and revenue, retailers are having to pay attention to consumers’ increased demand for sustainable products. It is happening. There are ever more rigorously tested, high-quality sustainably made products for sale. Read their labels and make product comparisons. Choose to be in the growing group of Americans who are shopping sustainably and know by doing so, you are increasing the demand for recycled materials.

By Bev Harrison

Ocean Awareness

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One may ask, “Why should I care about the ocean since I live in Utah?”. While the blue horizon
may not be visible to us, our daily actions ultimately affect the air we breathe, partially derived from the ocean. Our 70% blue planet regulates climate and weather patterns, sequesters heaps of carbon dioxide, is an energy resource, and provides millions of jobs, food, medicine, recreation, and energy resources. Read on for ways to keep our oceans healthy:

  1. Buy Sustainable Seafood: Look for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Blue Fish
    label that identifies overfishing, conservation of essential and depleting fish habitat,
    minimizing ‘bycatch’ and protected species and creation of prosperous fishing
    communities. Currently, only 1/5 of all marine catch is MSC certified. Ask about the Blue
    Fish label at restaurants and the grocery and download the Seafoodwatch.org guide.
  2. Support Ecological Farming Methods: Sadly, animal waste, fertilizers, and pesticides can
    be washed into our waterways and eventually to sea through irresponsible farming
    methods. Buy organic, learn where your food comes from (or grow your own), and ask
    about ocean-friendly farming methods.
  3. Minimize Plastic Use: It’s estimated that by 2050 our oceans will contain more plastic
    than fish by weight mainly from plastic bags, bottles, food containers and synthetic
    fishing ropes. Microplastics affect the ability of marine microorganisms, including
    essential phytoplankton, to absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. A plastic-clogged
    and warming ocean will hurt plant and animal life, and ultimately humans.
    Our ocean is a powerful carbon sink and an economic and recreational paradise. Our lack of awareness could limit future generations in numerous ways. Let’s change that.

By Mary Closser

The (Un)Sustainability of Tetra Paks

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“Is this recyclable?”, “Which bin does this go in?”, and “What is this even made of?” are questions us recyclers are often asking ourselves while we examine a package searching for the small recycling symbol and trying to determine the material it’s made of. Recently, packaging has become more obscure with waxy-paper-like rectangular cartons that we find in our local stores containing non-dairy milks, broths, juices, soups, and other foods.

Cartons are made primarily with paperboard and are either aseptic or non-aseptic. Aseptic cartons, or shelf-stable cartons, include paperboard, an internal aluminum layer, and a plastic seal. Non-aseptic cartons, or refrigerated cartons, don’t have the aluminum layer, and thus have a shorter shelf life and require refrigeration.

When compared to glass jars, tin cans, and retort pouches, the aseptic and non-aseptic cartons require less energy to produce and are drastically lighter, making their production and transportation carbon footprint smaller. However, aseptic and non-aseptic cartons are very difficult to recycle due to their mixed-material composition.

Here in Summit County, non-aseptic cartons can be recycled as plastic, but aseptic cartons cannot be recycled due to their aluminum lining. Tetra Pak, the Swedish-Swiss conglomerate producing aseptic cartons, stamp the recycling symbol on their cartons but only 30% of their cartons are actually recycled. Without a machine specialized in separating each material in an aseptic carton, it cannot be recycled. Recycle Utah’s recommendation is to purchase your goods in glass jars and tin cans as those are materials that can be reused and recycled without losing quality.

By Addison Marr

Congratulations 2022 Green Business Winners

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The 2022 Green Business awardees were selected from thirty-four businesses that have joined the revamped program since July 2022.The five winners were selected because of the number of environmentally minded committed actions, the innovation and impact of these actions, and their enthusiasm and dedication to creating sustainability within their business.

Special thanks to Deer Valley for hosting this event on January 10, 2023.

Alpine Distilling

Green Business of the Year

A local distiller for whiskey and gin since 2016, Alpine Distilling has committed to eco-friendly practices from the beginning with transparency and openness. They support multiple non-profits in Park City via time and money, hire locally and purchase local products as much as possible. They’re always seeking new innovations in production and manufacturing, sustainable purchasing, and water conservation. Alpine Distilling consistently strives to reduce its carbon footprint, and they encourage suppliers, affiliates, and partners to do the same. They were the recipients of the Green Business Leadership Award from Utah Business, Blue Sky Renewable, and Rocky Mountain Power in 2021. Congratulations!

Accomplishments:

  • Switched gas furnaces to heat pumps and invested in chillers to cut water demand in half.
  • Rerouted water through a steam boiler to limit electrical demand for heating units.
  • Sent all spent grains for distilling to Wasatch Recovery, which turns compost into methane for a renewable energy source.
  • Retrofitted buildings to include low flush toilets, faucet aerators and a state-of-the-art water reuse system.
  • Reduced turf by 25% to replace with native, drought tolerant and firewise landscaping where possible.
  • Diverted 80% of their waste from the landfill.
  • Sourced all products from local vendors and prioritized vendors with sustainable packing and reuse principles.
  • Implemented a trip chaining policy and incentives for carpooling, bus passes, and e-bikes.
  • Paid all employees and contractors a living wage with health insurance to employees.

Chesley Electric

Zest for Zero                                 

This twenty-five-year-old locally owned Park City business has shifted its mission from just illuminating homes to becoming an environmentally oriented company at its core. Chesley Electric empowers clients to make decisions with the planet in mind. From energy-efficient lighting and appliances to solar energy, battery backups, heat pumps, and EV chargers. Their intent is to provide systems that make off-grid living more attainable. Chesley Electric has cultivated a family-like workplace with many of its employees still working there after 20 years. Everyone is on board to enhance sustainability within the company and within our community.

Accomplishments:

  • Installed dimmers, occupancy sensors, and timed lights in the office.
  • Recycled everything possible and purchased materials that are shipped with minimal packaging.
  • Prioritized transactions with environmentally minded businesses and local businesses when possible.
  • Reduced their truck mileage by 25% by improving the efficiency of routing and encouraging carpooling.
  • Convinced their office’s HOA to turn off sprinklers save water.
  • Support many local non-profits.
  • Offered paid sick time and time off to all staff.
  • Working to transition entire fleet to all electric (they own one electric truck currently).
  • Changing flush valves, add aerators to all faucets, and lower water settings.
  • Always working to reduce office paper usage and enhance onsite recycling.
  • Would like to Achieve Black Diamond Level in the Green Business Program.

Ski Butlers 

Global Impact

Ski Butlers started out of a garage in Park City in 2004. Now, they operate at fifty resorts in twenty-nine locations and four countries. Ski Butlers provides rental ski gear for visitors, removing the need to transport equipment or purchase new ones. In addition to a business model that inherently promotes reuse and a sharing economy, Ski Butlers has made it a priority to shift climate to the forefront of business decisions. Their multipronged approach has evolved over time, but the priority has been to focus on climate solutions in the communities they impact.

Accomplishments:

  • Collaborated with Protect Our Winters (POW) and switched banks to stop financing fossil fuels.
  • CEO Bryn Carey read Deep by Porter Fox, attended Climate Reality Training, and presented to Park City Municipal to lay the groundwork for the town to commit to 100% clean energy.
  • Installed solar panels om Ski Butlers headquarters.
  • Worked with Park City to establish North America’s most ambitious climate goals.
  • lobbied with U.S. senators in D.C. for better climate policy.
  • Committed to 100% clean energy by 2030
  • Invested in reducing its business carbon footprint by purchasing electric delivery vans.
  • Founded Mountain Towns to engage other mountain communities in climate action.
  • Announced that all company assets are moved from JPMorgan Chase to KeyBank. Their decision to support banks that finance clean energy was an easy choice, but tough to implement.

EATS Park City: Eat Awesome Things

People’s Choice

EATS Park City originated in 2014 and has evolved into an essential non-profit advocate and resource for improving the health and well-being of children and families in our community. They are dedicated to teaching our next generation of land stewards how to be mindful of climate impact by learning how to grow vegetables, eat locally grown produce, increase plant-based consumption, and compost. EATS has been instrumental in contributing to lunchroom compost programs, school pumpkin compost programs, and community-wide Christmas tree collection. They communicate their sustainability efforts through camps, cooking classes, after-school programs, local Tower Gardens, and more.

Accomplishments:

  • Advocated for use of compostable lunchroom trays vs. Styrofoam and plastic.
  • Managed a school greenhouse with drip irrigation connected to rainwater bins.
  • Eliminated office space with most employees working from home or using shared Kiln space.
  • Donated/repurposed numerous supplies and furniture to transition to Kiln.
  • Utilized DocuSign and Adobe products to sign documents and reduce printing.
  • Paid staff a living wage with equity across race and gender.
  • Addressed food security by partnering with PC Christian Center for food storage and distribution of afterschool ‘backpack’ snacks.
  • Aiming to further enhance partnerships and opportunities to educate and advocate.

Continue exploring costs and benefits of returning to reusable lunch trays in our schools and how to best form lifelong habits for sustainable food waste disposal for our community.