Recycle Utah

Nonprofit Summit County, Utah Recycling Center

#sustainability

Vehicles: An Unexpected Source of Fire Danger

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While we live in a beautiful ski town, Park City is also a high-mountain desert; with that comes the threat of summer forest fires. Fire safety is as important as ever considering Utah’s severe state of drought. There are some simple steps we can all take to protect our precious town from the dangers that fires impose, especially when it comes to our vehicles.

Vehicles are an all too common source of local fires, due to a few common factors. It is important to not park a hot car on dry grass, as this can lead to the grass catching on fire. Maintaining normal tire pressure is also quite significant as a tire blowout on the highway can easily start a fire. Objects dangling from cars traveling down highways at 70+mph can create dangerous sparks. Therefore, it is important to secure trailer chains to make sure they don’t drag and spark a fire. For off road vehicles, it is also important to have spark arrestors in them (a mechanical device that traps hot exhaust particles ejected from a combustion engine).  

It is not an understatement to say it is vital to maintain the overall health of your vehicle. In fact, the Lambs Canyon fire of 2021 was started by a simple malfunction of a car’s catalytic converter. Be sure to car for your care with fire safety in mind to help protect our environment and community!

By Pearson Ehrich

The Environmental Cost of Online Shopping

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In the age of the internet, efficiency is everything, especially when it comes to e-commerce. Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs) like personal care and homecare products are increasingly ordered online rather than in-store and are delivered within days of purchase. Factors such as delivery, packaging, and a perceived demand by consumers to receive goods faster all contribute to emissions and waste related to online shopping. But is it worse than going to the store yourself?

Truthfully, the environmental impact is more complicated than you’d think. Consumer behavior, waste, logistics, the type and amount of packaging, and the distance from distribution hub to store or home all play a role. A recent study published by MIT’s Real Estate Innovation Lab compiled research on both shopping options to address some of these complexities. Under specific circumstances, ordering goods for delivery actually has less of an impact on the environment because shoppers are making fewer individual trips. But change some of the assumptions, such as inefficient freight consolidation or amount of packaging, and the results favor in-store shopping.

When there is a perceived demand for receiving goods as fast as possible, companies will cater to the consumer. So, what’s the best thing you can do to avoid the online shopping conundrum? Be a conscious consumer! The less stuff you buy, online or in-store, the less you’ll contribute to waste and pollution. Think about alternative buying options for FMCGs such as buying in bulk, buying local, and consolidating trips to the store.

By Olivia Beckstead

Saving Water at Zero Cost

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Many of us are inadvertently wasting tap water as we use it in our homes and yards.
There are many simple ways we can waste significantly less. One way is to “capture” running
faucet or shower head water in a container as you wait for it to warm up. Keep a bucket in the
kitchen and bathroom for your captured water and use it to water plants and rinse and wash
dishes and other items. Doing this, can save 3 gallons of water from running down the drain
each time you wait for hot water to flow.

For a cold drink on a hot day, keep a pitcher of tap water in the refrigerator instead of letting it
run down the drain until it cools. When cooking, repurpose boiled water.

On a hot sunny day, we often run hot water remaining in a turned-off garden hose onto the
ground until it cools. Instead, capture it in a bucket and use it later. Be alert to superheated
water remaining in a hose that can cause burns. As much as possible, leave hoses in the
shade. Water in the morning while the hose is cool.

In many ways, you can make sure your behaviors are those that minimize the amount of water
you leave running down the drain or onto the ground. Saving water is another way to think, talk, and feel-good green.

By Bev Harrison

The Guide to Safer Sunscreens, Foods, and Products

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Chemicals and plastics surround us and sometimes are found in us. Recent studies reveal that microplastics are found in human urine, feces and even blood. Are we becoming plastified? Chemified? Environmental Working Group (ewg.org) is a national gem that researches the safety and efficacy of chemicals in sunscreen and cosmetics, cleaning products, food and more. Simply enter your preferred product to see how it ranks from A to F. Or check out EWG’s guides, such as their Sunscreen Guide or “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean 15” lists which reveal the most and least pesticide ridden fruits and vegetables.

Avoiding pesticides in our food makes sense, but you may ask, ‘Why should I be concerned about skin or hair products – how can it get inside me?’ EWG estimates that the average person uses 9 products daily, which contain 126 unique ingredients – some which can seep into our skin or lungs or through our scalp. Sunscreen is a source of harmful chemicals for humans and ocean life – sunscreens that contain Oxybenzone and/or Octinoxate can damage coral reefs. Safer ‘reef friendly’ sunscreens, while often more expensive, contain plants and minerals. Visit EWG’s Sunscreen Guide for safer products.

Awareness is the key. Become educated on your daily products and foods and what’s in them. There are currently more than 85,000 chemicals in the U.S. and it’s up to us to know what’s going in and on our bodies, down our drains, in our homes and on our lawns. EWG.ORG.

By Mary Closser

The Power of Composting

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Every year, United States landfills receive over 150 million tons of garbage. Each bag of tossed garbage contributes to the pollution of surrounding waterways, air, and soil, inflicting health hazards upon humans and animals. It’s puzzling that over 50% of standard garbage set out on the curb can be composted. This simple action – composting – not only replenishes soil, sustains future food production, sequesters carbon, and replaces chemical fertilizers, but it also reduces heaps of methane being emitted from landfills.

So how can one start composting in Park City? There are three options: 1. Start a compost pile at home. Recycle Utah can assist you with doing it yourself through their monthly workshops (next one is 7/9, 10am) and they even sell discounted composting bins. 2. Join Spoil to Soil – a composting pickup service that costs $19/month, supplies all the materials, and picks up weekly. Or 3. Try Vermicomposting or worm composting. This is another great composting option, especially for smaller spaces, like apartments. Worm composting uses worms to recycle food scraps and other organic material into a valuable soil amendment called Vermicompost. It’s a fun way to compost but the worms need at least 40F degrees to survive. 

While most people assume waste, such as food scraps, will biodegrade in landfills, the lack of oxygen prevents this and instead creates methane. The more of us who get on board with environmental steps, the more these actions will start to add up. Composting is a significant step.

By Pearson Ehrich

A/C Efficiency Tips

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Summer is here, and with Utah’s trend of record-breaking temperatures, it’s bound to be a hot one. The warmer it gets, the more we rely on energy intensive, fossil fuel burning AC units to cool our homes and buildings. It is estimated that up to 6% of all energy use comes from air conditioners alone, releasing around 100 million tons of carbon dioxide into the air each year.

So, what are some ways to limit AC usage and improve overall efficiency to reduce environmental impact? The first thing you can do is think about replacing your older unit with something more energy efficient, which will not only help reduce individual emissions but also significantly lower the cost of your energy bill. Evaporative or swamp coolers, for example, are often more efficient than traditional air conditioners. If your unit isn’t in need of an upgrade, behavioral actions, like keeping the temperature higher on your AC, can also save energy.

If you’re looking for ways to reduce your overall need for air conditioning, improving your home’s insulation and sealing around windows can help keep cool air circulating indoors. Before turning on your AC, try using fans with ice in front of them, or using window “tuning” to improve airflow. Keeping shades and curtains closed or putting in solar screens can further reduce AC usage. The best part about finding ways to be energy efficient is that it’s a win for both the environment and your wallet!

By Olivia Beckstead