Happy Earth Day!

Earth Day is celebrating its 51^st anniversary on April 22! Salt Lake City residents can celebrate with activities and events this weekend and throughout the month of April.

As you plan your Earth Day fun, remember that Earth Day doesn’t have to be limited to April 22. We all can reduce our impact every day.

This year we thought it’d be fun to imagine taking advantage of many of Salt Lake City’s programs to help lead a more sustainable life. Come along for the ride. . . perhaps you’ll discover something new . . .

In the Yard

From planting a water-wise landscape to using an electric lawn mower rather than a gas-powered one, your very own front yard is a great place to improve your household’s environmental footprint!

You can also make your garden healthier for the whole community – pets and pollinators included. You may have seen the little green Pesticide Free hexagonal signs in your neighborhood. Salt Lake City residents are taking steps to grow beautiful gardens without toxic chemicals. Going pesticide free can help you keep your family and neighbors healthy, and your yard safe for pollinators– we still have plenty of signs, so take the pledge and request yours today! We’ll deliver it to your home for free.

Waste and Recycling

Recycling and composting every day helps us make the most of our resources. Taking the extra step to recycle materials like aluminum, cardboard, paper, and plastic containers is an excellent way to reach your zero waste goals. Have questions? Watch Ashley on our Education Team walking you through what to put in your recycling and compost containers.

You can also sign up for a smaller garbage can to save money.

And don’t forget about glass! If you have not yet signed up for curbside glass recycling, you can do so here— or take your glass to a drop-off location near you.

Have an item you’re not sure what to do with? Check out our specialty recycling page to see if it can be recycled through a special program.

At Home

Using low-flow shower heads saves energy and water. Switching to LED light bulbs can reduce up to 500 pounds of CO2 annually, while using cold water for washing your clothes saves 1,270 pounds annually! Find more energy saving tips on SLCgreen’s Household Energy Action Tips.

Although going 100% vegan is a great way to help shrink your carbon footprint, limiting animal products a few times a week is also impactful.

Reducing food waste is also an often-overlooked way to reduce potent methane emissions and help others.

For example you can volunteer with the local non-profit Waste Less Solutions to share your excess garden produce with those who need extra food. You can also volunteer with them to deliver meals that would otherwise go to waste to service agencies.

And don’t forget that the anaerobic digester now takes public food waste drop-offs. This is helpful if you don’t have access to a brown curbside compost can (or you want to divert more than fruits and veggies).

For all the details plus more, visit the “Food Waste” section of our website.

On the Road

In 2020, many of us were able to drive less as our behaviors changed to fight the spread of COVID-19. This collective action helped reduce the air pollution in the valley. So, as COVID ebbs and we return to more active lives, we can still try to drive less. Consider using the heavily-discounted HIVE pass for residents to get around on public transportation, try out the GREENbike program, or make biking part of your transportation routine.

Of course, when you do take out your car, remember to be Idle Free. You may even consider the benefits of purchasing an electric vehicle (and use SLC’s free charging stations to top it off!)

With the Kids

There are so many ways to celebrate Earth Day. Helping your whole family learn about the importance of protecting our planet is a great way to make sure that Earth Day is honored every day.

This year, SLCgreen and YouthCity teamed up to create an Earth Day scavenger hunt that will help you get outside and think creatively about how to help build a more sustainable and resilient SLC.

You can download a copy of the scavenger hunt with instructions.

SLCgreen wishes you a very happy Earth Day!