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Posts tagged ‘education’

Sep 22

Clever Octopus: Making Art and Keeping Everyday Items Out of the Landfill

By SLCgreen intern Atticus Olmedo

Welcome to SLCgreen Connections, an occasional series highlighting SLCgreen’s fantastic local partners—the people and organizations with whom we work closely to make Salt Lake City a greener, more vibrant, and sustainable city!

It has been a busy summer for the Clever Octopus Creative Reuse Center. The creative reuse center is one of Salt Lake City’s e2 Businesses, a program dedicated to helping Salt Lake’s business community be more economically- and environmentally-sustainable. And Clever Octopus is passionate about sustainability. With multiple summer camps, including Sculpting the Future: Art to Save Utah with Goldman Sachs, and even more classes throughout the summer, the creative reuse center helps divert waste, support the community, and foster creativity and environmental awareness through art.

Indeed, Clever Octopus has expanded its programming from a thrift store for art supplies to a fully-fledged creative reuse center providing educational opportunities for students of all ages and skill levels across Salt Lake Valley.

SLCgreen recently met with members of Clever Octopus’ team, Lin Huang, Kacy Huston, Jen Lopez and David Sadler, to talk about their work making art sustainable and accessible.

Clever Octopus Creative Reuse Center
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Dec 5

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Why Do We Check Recycling Cans?

 

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Hi! One of SLC’s Recycling Education Team members checking a container.

You may have seen a recent story in the Salt Lake Tribune that follows SLCgreen’s Recycling Education Team on a visit around our neighborhoods checking recycling containers. The piece does a good job of giving an overview of the purpose of our Education Team, but we’d like to give you some additional context.

The Education Team works in Salt Lake City’s Waste & Recycling Division and is comprised of five dedicated and passionate employees whose sole job it is to educate the public and improve recycling behavior. We never fine anyone, and our team works hard to be customer-service oriented, friendly, and professional.

The team is out and about each week, across the city, checking cans, leaving materials, and having conversations with people about recycling. They’re also some of the faces you see at community events, festivals, markets, and classrooms across SLC.

Their work is a critical part of our effort to make sure we are recycling as much as possible in the Salt Lake City community– and that we’re “recycling right.” Read more

May 17

Salt Lake City’s Mitch Davis Recognized for Innovative Waste & Recycling Work

Ever wonder how Salt Lake City successfully diverts over 32,000 tons of material annually from the landfill?

It’s a big undertaking– involving operations, education, outreach, and policy. And our amazing staff are at the heart of it!

Today we’re thrilled to announce that one of our own, Mitch Davis, is being recognized nationally for his efforts by Waste360, a recycling trade group serving 90,000 professionals.

The Waste360 “40 Under 40” awards program “recognizes inspiring and innovative professionals under the age of 40 whose work in waste, recycling and organics have made a significant contribution to the industry.“

“This award is a great honor in the waste & recycling industry,” said Lance Allen, Waste & Recycling Division Director. “We are very proud of Mitch and what he brings to our team and community.”

Mitch Davis accepts his Waste360 40 Under 40 award. 2017.
A shoe in the recycling bin? Nope!

Mitch started his career with Salt Lake City as an intern in 2008 while finishing up his degree in Environmental Studies at the University of Utah. His passion for waste diversion and public service has been the driving force behind the success of many of our waste diversion strategies ever since.

When Mitch started with Salt Lake City he wanted to, “make a difference.” Because of his hard work and dedication, he most certainly has achieved that goal! Here’s how: Read more

Mar 27

Your Utah. Your Future. Take the Survey!

 

Envision Utah needs 50,000 Utahns like you to help make history and participate in the Your Utah Your Future project. Over the past few months, they have been using your input from the BUILD YOUR 2050 UTAH WEB APP and working with more than 400 task force members to create a survey to find out what you want Utah to be like in 2050.

Take a few seconds now and reserve your spot in the survey. Envision Utah will send you a link to the online survey when it goes live this spring.

Learn more about the Your Utah Your Future initiative below, or visit EnvisionUtah.org.

EnvisionUtah - Infographic

 

 

Dec 2

Salt Lake City Receives UCAIR Grant to Educate about Idle Free Ordinance

partner_fullcolorSalt Lake City Green is excited to announce that we are a recipient of a Utah Clean Air Partnership (UCAIR) grant to refresh our outreach and engagement efforts for the City’s Idle Free Ordinance!

When Salt Lake City passed the Idle Free Ordinance in late 2011, a concerted effort to engage local businesses and the community to educate about the new ordinance and place idle free signs at key locations throughout the city was undertaken. Air quality is a top priority for Mayor Becker and the residents of Salt Lake City and the time is right to refresh our education and engagement efforts.

As we head into inversion season, Salt Lake City is thrilled to receive the generous grant from UCAIR, which will allow us to refresh our materials (website, handout, signs) and engage once again with the local business community and community at large to make sure everyone understands the benefits of being idle free, the limitations of the ordinance and how they can have a positive impact on our air quality by simply turning their key!

Look for more information soon at SLCgov.com/idlefree. In the meantime, please let us know if you have any questions about the ordinance.

If you would like to report an idling complaint in real time, please call (801) 535-6628. A Salt Lake City compliance officer will be dispatched to investigate.

 

Oct 24

Community Improvement Grants Available

CIO-Grant-Flyer-1

Salt Lake City has allocated $187,000 in grants for community nonprofits, neighborhood groups, and neighborhood business districts as part of the Community Improvement and Outreach Grant program.

This grant program is designed to quickly and efficiently improve the quality of Salt Lake City’s communities and neighborhoods.

With the help of residents and local organizations, these funds can be used towards public safety projects, recreation and education projects, sustainability projects, neighborhood improvements, neighborhood-school partnerships, local project developments, and more.

Applications will be accepted November 1-December 2, 2013 and are available online.

Oct 21

Film Screening: The City Dark

Thursday, October 24 at 7:00 p.m.
Broadway Centre Cinemas (111 E 300 S)
Suggested donation of $5-10

Join KUED and the Utah Society for Environmental Education for a FREE film screening of The City Dark.

Is darkness becoming extinct?

When filmmaker Ian Cheney moves from rural Maine to New York City and discovers streets awash in light and skies devoid of stars, he embarks on a journey to America’s brightest and darkest corners, asking astronomers, cancer researchers and ecologists what is lost in the glare of city lights.

Blending a humorous, searching narrative with poetic footage of the night sky, The City Dark provides a fascinating introduction to the science of the dark and an exploration of our relationship to the stars.

A panel discussion will follow.