Recycle Utah

Nonprofit Summit County, Utah Recycling Center

#recycle utah

Protecting Park City From Forever Chemicals This Ski Season

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With ski season upon us and the holidays in full swing, Park City’s environmental impact is reaching its peak. While tourism, winter sports, and celebrations bring joy to our community, they also affect our local ecosystems. A commonly overlooked contributor to this impact is also an essential tool for winter sports enthusiasts: ski wax.

Traditional ski wax formulas contain fluorinated compounds, also known as PFAS, which are among the most damaging environmental pollutants. As ski or snowboard, small amounts of wax are deposited in the snow, where they persist long after the spring snowmelt and contaminate soil and water. PFAS are nicknamed “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down, but instead accumulate in the environment and the bodies of animals exposed to them.

The harm isn’t limited to the slopes. When fluorinated waxes are heated during application, they release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air. This could jeopardize our beloved clean mountain air and contribute to unsafe indoor conditions for those applying the wax, particularly in poorly ventilated ski shops and homes.

Fortunately, we can all take meaningful steps to minimize this impact. First, purchasing eco-friendly ski waxes that are biodegradable and plant-based can make a significant impact! These products are readily available at your local ski shop and can effectively replace any old fluoro wax you may still have in your home. Second, make sure you are waxing your skis and boards in a well-ventilated space to avoid inhaling any airborne byproducts. And lastly, although many ski shops have stopped selling waxes containing forever chemicals, PFAS are still circulating in a variety of consumer products such as cookware, food packaging, and cleaning supplies. With this in mind, we encourage you to support any legislation that aims to prohibit the use and sale of all products containing PFAS.

By Elsa Kerr

Take an Eco-Friendly Vacation

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My husband and I departed on August 24th for eight weeks of travel through a swath of the American-Canadian Rockies. Our home was a 16-foot hard-sided a-line pop-up trailer. Vacationing sustainably was a priority from the first moments of trip planning, when we

connected dots on a map to see as many places as we could in one long tight loop. We visited nine places. Our farthest point was Banff National Park in Alberta. Most of the time, it was easy to live sustainably on the road but unfortunately, we couldn’t divert our food waste, and had to throw out some recyclables when no bins were available at campgrounds.

Because our small rig folds down, it minimizes wind resistance; it’s lightweight and we travelled at or slower than the speed limit to maximize fuel efficiency. We packed light and organized everything for easy access. We packed an e-bike in the truck. We have a solar panel on the top of it to run a large cooler stored under the cap, along with an inverter and equipment. Two additional bikes on the back of the a-liner allowed us to cycle around campgrounds and on park trails.

At campsites, we set out a solar panel with an extra extension cord to generate electricity for interior light, hot water, and heat. RVers should reconsider their use of noisy gas or propane generators—after all, they’re living in direct sunlight. Use that light whenever possible. We have no toilet or shower and made it a priority to have access to restrooms. We paid for timed showers.

We were nearly always in bear country. Wildlife managers have long prioritized educating people that feeding bears is bad for them. Messaging everywhere makes it impossible not to know that food and toiletries must always be secured and bear spray should be carried when hiking. You risk being reprimanded by staff or another visitor if you disregard these rules. Additionally, park staff may temporarily close areas where wildlife is roaming close by especially with their young or during breeding season.

A shout out to the clean, beautiful town of Banff for establishing an aggressive zero-waste program in a free-roaming wildlife habitat. There are easily-visible bear-proof recycling and food disposal stations throughout town for residents and visitors to use. Backyard composting is not allowed as it attracts wildlife. For information about this excellent program and personal tips go to banff.ca/154/Zero-Waste-Banff.

By Bev Harrison

Celebrate Sustainably by Reducing the Environmental Impact of Online Shopping

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It’s almost that time of year again when friends and families come together to share in the joyful season, exchange gifts, enjoy holiday festivities and food, and cherish moments spent with the ones you love. It’s a time to show the ones you love how much you appreciate them. However, as the holidays become more about gift-giving rather than being with friends and family, the demand for online shopping rapidly increases adding to further consumerism. Though the convenience, speed, and lower prices of e-commerce make last-minute shopping easier, it’s the environment that ultimately bears the cost of these consumer choices.

Online shopping, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, has rapidly grown and is driven by giants such as Amazon and Walmart. These companies have completely transformed e-commerce and monopolized on consumers’ expectations of fast, convenient, and free shipping. In June 2020, global e-commerce sales reached a new peak of 22 billion monthly visits, equating to $26.7 trillion in sales. This new peak of online shopping perfectly describes the effects of speed, competitive pricing, and convenience on consumer demand.

However, to meet these expectations created by big corporations, the environment must bear the cost. The packaging and shipping of goods heavily contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and plastic waste. In 2020, the transportation and return of products accounted for 37% of total GHG emissions in the e-commerce sector.

The packaging that is used is a major component of these emissions. The majority of items that you order online are wrapped in multiple layers of plastic and cardboard to ensure a safe delivery to your doorstep. The forest conservation group Canopy reports that approximately 3 billion trees are pulped each year to produce 241 million tons of shipping cartons. This scale of deforestation depletes natural carbon sinks and creates an enormous amount of waste. Also, less than 15% of this packaging is recycled! This means that it directly ends up in landfills adding to an already pressing issue for the environment.

So, what can you do as an individual consumer? You can start by consolidating online orders into a single order, get ahead of the holiday season, and order gifts early and through slower shipping methods instead of same-day delivery. You can also limit the amount of returns as this contributes significantly to GHG emissions. Or, you can support local stores. Lastly, when you are all done using the cardboard boxes, come by Recycle Utah to recycle your boxes. Recycle Utah also re-sells moving boxes and packaging materials (cardboard boxes, packing peanuts, and bubble wrap). By making mindful choices this holiday season, you can celebrate sustainably, reducing your environmental impact while still spreading joy to those you love.

By Elly Swartz

Reducing Microplastics In Your Diet

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Plastic has become a central part of our everyday lives, especially in our kitchens, fragmenting on a daily basis and ending up in the food we eat. Though various plastics can be recycled at Recycle Utah, we encourage you to limit your everyday use of plastic in order to make a positive impact on the environment and your personal health.

Did you know that microplastics, which are tiny plastic particles less than 5 millimeters in size, are now being found in our brains? A recent study of brain samples found that an average of 0.5% of our brains are made up of plastic by weight. Samples from dementia patients contained 10 times this amount on average. This raises serious concerns about our long-term health as we become more and more reliant on plastics.

The good news is that we can all reduce our exposure to microplastics. Try to avoid foods served in styrofoam containers, as well as items packaged in clear plastic bags or food wraps like those used for bread and produce. In doing this, you can avoid the two main culprits that infiltrate our bodies, polystyrene and polyethylene. Additionally, consider reducing your plastic use in the kitchen by switching to glass, metal, or wood cookware and containers.

By Elsa Kerr

Sustainable Coffee

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We crave the flavor and aroma. The taste brings us joy and for some, relief. Yet, there’s a story behind the 146 billion cups of coffee a year that Americans often celebrate in our morning routine. Just how sustainable is the bean that goes into that daily cup of joe? How and where did it grow, get harvested, processed, and roasted? Coffee is now grown in more than 50 countries, with Brazil being the world’s largest producer. Our desire to caffeinate involves many steps before it lands in our mug; the coffee industry, like any other, has environmental and social impacts.

First, how was the crop managed? Was the soil protected with minimal water use? Was it “shade-grown” on a farm featuring an array of native trees creating a canopy over the coffee bushes? This boosts biodiversity, decreases soil erosion, and acts as a carbon sink. Was the bean waste composted and used as a fertilizer?

Second, how are the farmers treated? Is social justice instilled to promote fair wages, humane conditions for employees, gender equality, and education access for children?

Third, is the coffee organic? USDA Organic certification bans the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, in addition to requiring farmers to use methods that prevent soil erosion.

Look for the following certifications when purchasing coffee: Fair Trade or Rainforest Alliance, B Corp, Shade Grown, Carbon Neutral, or Organic. Beyond the bean itself, other sustainable tidbits include:

1. Is the coffee light, medium, or dark roasted? Current research reveals that because light-roasted beans are roasted at lower temperatures and for less time, they are a better environmental choice (and may also contain more caffeine!)
2. How is your coffee packaged? Is the packaging reusable, recyclable, or compostable?
3. If you use pods, are they reusable vs. single-serve? The same goes for sugar and cream.
4. Are you composting your grounds and filters, if used?
5. How sustainable (and healthy) are your add-ins? Locally sourced? Organic? Dairy-free?

I hope these guidelines help to enrich your next cup of joe to complete satisfaction.

By Mary Closser

Used Cooking Oils: Don’t Send Them Down the Drain, Recycle!

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Have you ever wondered what to do with leftover cooking oil after frying or sautéing? It’s
tempting to pour it down the drain, but this can cause major plumbing and environmental issues.

Cooking oils can solidify in your pipes over time, which can cause blockages in municipal sewer systems and costly repairs. Additionally, oil in water systems can be harmful to local wildlife. So how should you dispose of your used cooking oils? At Recycle Utah, we encourage
you to drop them off at our center, where it is sent to Beck’s Sanitation and repurposed as
biodiesel. When you drop off your used cooking oil, it is transported to a facility where food
particles and water are filtered out. Once the oil meets strict specifications, it is sold to biodiesel producers. Finally, it is turned into B-99, a fuel that is 99% biodiesel and can be blended into different fuel mixes like B-5 (5% biodiesel) and B-20 (20% biodiesel).

Not only is biodiesel renewable, but it also produces significantly fewer greenhouse gasses
compared to petroleum-based diesel. Biodiesel originates from plants (like soybean and palm) which absorb atmospheric CO2 as they grow. This partially offsets the emissions they create as they are burned for fuel. Additionally, their combustion emits fewer sulfur oxides and particulate matter.

Biodiesel is also biodegradable, breaking down in only a fraction of the time as fossil fuels in the event of a spill. This reduces the risk when it comes to ecosystems and waterways. Though cooking oils can be recycled effectively through this process, we encourage you to be mindful of how much oil you are using, and opt for low-oil cooking options whenever possible. Air fryers can be a great option for reducing your oil usage!

By recycling your used cooking oil, you are not just keeping waste out of landfills; you are
helping to create a renewable fuel that powers vehicles while minimizing environmental impact. Next time you are at Recycle Utah, consider the role you play in supporting a greener future and drop off your oils in the collection barrel located next to the metal dumpster and aluminum can collection station. The collection barrel is open from mid April to mid-November.

By Elsa Kerr