Salt Lake County Recycling & Compost

07/31/2019

We're on the SLC Green blog today, spreading the good word about compost!

"Ultimately, at a time of some skepticism about recycling, turning green waste into compost is the most local and direct form of recycling.

"Just like recycling programs, using your brown compost container diverts material from landfills, but unlike recycling programs, composting transforms waste into something new in the same cities and counties that produce the waste.

"Don’t have a curbside compost program? You can even compost in your apartment or backyard! It doesn’t get much more local than that!"

https://slcgreenblog.com/2019/07/31/the-dirt-on-compost/

by Salt Lake Valley Landfill Compost Marketer & Recycling Specialist, Zak Breckenridge It’s variably called the “yard waste bin,” the “brown can,” or the “co…

07/29/2019

"To tackle this environmental catastrophe, U.S. companies and researchers are developing AI-assisted robotic technology that can work with humans in processing plants and improve quality control. The goal is to have robots do a better job at sorting garbage and reduce the contamination and health hazards human workers face in recycling plants every day. Sorting trash is a dirty and dangerous job. Recycling workers are more than twice as likely as other workers to be injured on the job, according to a report at the University of Illinois School of Public Health. The profession also has high fatality rates.

"The way the robots work is simple. Guided by cameras and computer systems trained to recognize specific objects, the robots’ arms glide over moving conveyor belts until they reach their target. Oversized tongs or fingers with sensors that are attached to the arms snag cans, glass, plastic containers, and other recyclable items out of the rubbish and place them into nearby bins."

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/26/meet-the-robots-being-used-to-help-solve-americas-recycling-crisis.html

The U.S. is facing a recycling crisis that is burying cities and towns in tens of millions of tons of garbage a day. Companies and municipalities are turning to AI-assisted robots to help sort garbage in recycling plants and boost quality control.

07/25/2019

By SLCgreen intern Kelbe Goupil Air quality, air quality, air quality…will we ever stop talking about it? Until our air is consistently clean and no longer putting our health and economy at risk, p…

07/25/2019

"In mid-July, Crossroads Paper held a press conference to announce its plans to build a paper mill in the Salt Lake City area that will recycle old corrugated containers (OCC) and residential mixed paper into new paper that will then be used to make boxes for manufacturers, farmers and e-commerce companies."

https://www.recyclingtoday.com/article/crossroads-paper-recycled-containerboard-salt-lake-valley/

Crossroads Paper plans to build a recycled paperboard mill in the Salt Lake City area that will consume OCC and residential mixed paper.

07/23/2019

We hang student art in the landfill education space because we want students to learn about waste, recycling, and compost, but also because we want them to know that their voices matter they can be the visionaries, now and in the future, to solve the waste system’s problems. Check out these inspiring responses from the creative re-use camp that visited us last week!

@ Salt Lake City, Utah

07/23/2019

Clever Octopus just concluded a great camp on creative re-use. They visited the landfill, so click through for beautiful pictures of students learning at the landfill!

http://www.cleveroctopus.org/blog/2019/7/18/clever-octopus-amp-goldman-sachs-engaged-youth-on-creative-reuse-with-a-free-student-art-project

Clever Octopus and Goldman Sachs hosted a free art workshop series for students ages 11-14 in Salt Lake City, Utah, on July 9-12, 2019. The student-artists were joined by Clever Octopus teaching-artists and assistants, Goldman Sachs employees, and college mentors to learn about reducing the impact

07/18/2019

Our compost team works hard to make the highest-quality compost possible for our community! But contamination of the feedstock by non-compostable items makes their job difficult! Do your part to provide clean compost to the community of the Salt Lake Valley and avoid putting plastic, meat, dairy, grease, trash bags, pet waste, paper, glass, or other non-compostable items in your yard waste bin!

@ Salt Lake City, Utah

07/18/2019

"The country’s environmental well-being and the recycling industry are fundamentally entwined. Recycling is diverting hundreds of millions of pounds of materials from landfills and avoiding millions of metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually. Two out of every three pounds of steel made in the United States is manufactured using steel scrap, generating 58 percent less carbon dioxide and using 60 percent less energy than making steel from ore. What’s more, 80 percent of all U.S. paper mills are using recovered fiber, saving energy, reducing water pollution and air emissions dramatically."

https://www.insidesources.com/recycling-leaders-press-for-fixes-to-boost-environmental-gains/

The nation’s recycling leaders are descending on Capitol Hill this week with a clear message for U.S. lawmakers and the Trump administration: the

07/17/2019

We've just added a list of Home Composting Resources to our website! Scroll down to check out the resources we've collected. What resources have you found helpful for managing your own compost pile?

https://www.slco.org/landfill/compost/

Salt Lake Valley Organic Compost

07/16/2019

Recent headlines have announced the death of recycling. Since China stopped acceptin...

07/15/2019

Our own Zak Breckenridge is in the Salt Lake Tribune opinion page, making the case for educating yourself about the recycling process.

"And even if sources agree, the rules seem to change all the time. Can you recycle number 3 plastics? Styrofoam? Plastic bags? That your curbside recycling program accepted these materials last year, or even last month, does not mean they will today. The environmentally conscious citizen may feel adrift in a plastic-choked ocean of conflicting information.

"So should you recycle? My answer is an unequivocal 'Yes.'"

https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/commentary/2019/07/14/commentary-if-you-care/

Recent headlines have announced the death of recycling. Since China stopped acceptin...

07/11/2019

Did you know that artificial fertilizer can deplete soils and release nitrous oxide into the atmosphere as it degrades? Nitrous oxide is 213 times more powerful that carbon dioxide in the course of a century and almost 75% of nitrous oxide emissions result from agricultural soil management practices. Compost contributes to long-term soil and plant health and can actually store atmospheric carbon in the soil, and it’s often produced locally and naturally. Every day is a good day to appreciate compost!

07/11/2019

Thinking of starting your own compost pile at home? Check out this video to get some tips!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJuiNtXXB58

Tricia shares with you how to start your very own compost pile or compost bin. Get more info plus organic gardening supplies at Peaceful Valley, GrowOrganic....

07/09/2019

The environmental benefits of composting programs are already enormous, but expanding them could have an even greater impact! If your city doesn't have a compost program, consider starting your own compost pile

https://uspirg.org/blogs/news-briefs/usp/what-waste-least-30-trash-could-be-composted-instead-buried-or-burned

Each year, America landfills and incinerates enough organic material to fill a line of 18-wheelers stretching from New York to Los Angeles 10 times over.

07/08/2019

This video makes a great case for the mantra "When in doubt, throw it out."

https://youtu.be/R7N5a476DKQ

Knowing what you can and can’t recycle isn’t easy. But when you put stuff that can’t be recycled into that blue bin, it can turn entire hauls of otherwise re...

07/02/2019

It’s a beautiful day to make compost!

07/02/2019

Local governments in Utah are leading the way on renewable energy!

https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2019-4-july-august/feature/utah-way-achieving-100-percent-clean-energy

How a politically conservative state set aggressive goals for clean energy

06/24/2019

https://slcgreenblog.com/2019/06/20/momentum-recycling-party-at-the-plant/

Glass is one of the best materials to recycle. Not only does glass recycling help stimulate the local economy, glass can be recycled endlessly. Indeed, 80% of recovered glass is recycled into new g…

06/24/2019

The findings of this report are troubling, but keep in mind that in the Salt Lake Valley your number 1 and 2 plastics will definitely be recycled, but many other kinds of plastic will be burned for energy. The best ways to reduce pollution and save landfill space are to reduce consumption and reuse what we've bought at home.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jun/21/us-plastic-recycling-landfills

Consumers’ efforts to be eco-friendly go to waste as many communities find themselves with nowhere to send their refuse

06/20/2019

These beautiful dahlias are growing in our compost over at !!

Send us photos of plants you are growing and we will post them! Or tag us in your posts and we will share them to our story!

06/19/2019

The thought of being graded might make you anxious, but what do you think of getting grades on the contents of your recycling bin?

https://www.centralmaine.com/2019/06/19/interns-will-grade-contents-of-recycling-bins-in-4-communities-this-summer/

Residents in Falmouth, Scarborough, South Portland and Windham will see colored tags on their curbside recycling bins in an effort to reduce contamination that is costing towns money.

06/18/2019

PERU— In Peru, Clayton Thomas Kearl is known as “gringasho”. “It’s Peruvian slang for someone who's white, so 'gr**go,' but 'gringasho,'” Kearl explained. He has become a social media star with millions of Peruvian followers, and he has a mission to make the country he fell in love with ...

06/18/2019

"America throws out immense amounts or trash, most of which is dumped into landfills or burned in trash incinerators. This is a costly system that damages the environment and harms our health. Luckily, communities across the country are turning toward a common-sense and beneficial solution: composting. Composting programs divert organic material – such as food scraps, leaves, branches, grass clippings and other biodegradable material – away from landfills and incinerators and turn it into a valuable product. Compost can replenish and stabilize soil, helping to boost and sustain food production in the future. It can also help pull carbon out of the atmosphere, helping to tackle global warming, and replace polluting chemical fertilizers, protecting public health."

https://uspirg.org/reports/usp/composting-america

America throws out immense amounts or trash, most of which is dumped into landfills or burned in trash incinerators. This is a costly system that damages the environment and harms our health. Luckily, communities across the country are turning toward a common-sense and beneficial solution: compostin...

06/18/2019

U.S PIRG just published this great report outlining the benefits of making and using compost. Some key takeaways are:
-30% of incinerated and landfilled waste in the U.S. is compostable, so turning that trash into compost could reduce our waste by almost a third
-In the last five years the number of communities offering compost programs has grown 65%
-Using compost stabilizes soil, increases water retention, and prevents the soil degradation and air and water pollution caused by artificial fertilizers
-Diverting compost from landfills reduces methane production
-Compost can help draw and store carbon from the atmosphere in the soil, which combats global warming
Read the full report athttps://uspirg.org/sites/pirg/files/reports/USP%20Composting%20in%20America%20FINAL.pdf

06/17/2019

Maybe you're wondering how to make your own compost bin at home. It may be easier than you think!

Check out this step-by-step guide to making your own worm composting bin out of cheap materials (that you may already have lying around your house)!

Composting at home is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint, save landfill space, and nourish your garden!

https://www.epa.gov/recycle/how-create-and-maintain-indoor-worm-composting-bin

web page about How to Create and Maintain a Worm Composting Bin

06/17/2019

At the Salt Lake Valley Compost Facility (6030 W California) you can always buy our US Composting Council-certified compost for a Buck-a-Bucket! Bring your own five-gallon bucket and fill it for just $1!

06/13/2019

"Waste Management, another of the country’s biggest trash companies, 'spends about 140,000 hours every year cleaning plastic bags and tanglers (garden hoses, Christmas lights, chains, etc.) out of our equipment,' said company spokeswoman Janette Micelli, adding, 'That’s time that could be spent recycling more materials.' Better to err on the side of one recyclable item not getting recycled than one non-recyclable item messing it up for a whole day’s collection."

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-to-recycle_n_5cffdf18e4b02c23d2d282fd

There are so many confusing recycling rules! These tips will help you figure them out.

06/12/2019

"There is no denying that recycling has taken a beating in the media and public trust may be at an all-time low. Rebuilding the brand is going to be a significant challenge and may be our most important work. We need to keep recycling, and we need to keep improving recycling, while also being honest that it’s not a sufficient solution when it comes to reducing unnecessary plastic production or our overall unsustainable consumption patterns."

https://www.waste360.com/recycling/why-and-how-talk-optimistically-about-recycling-right-now

Be optimistic about the road ahead because real change is afoot, and we are standing on the edge of a defining moment.

09/26/2018

We've got an exciting to share with our lovely Facebook fam today!

If you haven't visited our website https://slco.org/recycle/ you're in for a treat!

Check out our newly re-vamped website today. New content in our FAQs, new justifications for recycling's rightful right-ness (in case you weren't already convinced you should be recycling 😁), new interactive maps, and, most importantly, as many recycling resources as we could compile, to help you right!

Please peruse, enjoy, and send us any feedback you'd like to offer! We know it's not perfect yet, but maybe with your help, it can be! 💚🌎♻️

09/21/2018

Let’s turn our wasteful consumer model on its head 😜 reduce - refill - reuse then....recycle. If each of us even refilled our shampoo bottle twice before recycling, think of the impact we could have as a group!