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Posts tagged ‘wasatch resource recovery’

Feb 15

Food Waste Drop-off Options for Multi-Family Residents (and anyone else!)

We all know composting is an important aspect of sustainability- it’s the most local form of recycling!

The US wastes approximately 40% of all food— that is approximately $408 billion worth of food thrown away each year.

However, using your Salt Lake City curbside compost carts for green yard waste and eligible food scraps (fruit and vegetable scraps, eggshells, coffee grounds, tea bags) can help! Your brown containers divert organic waste to be composted at the local Salt Lake Valley Landfill. Purchasing the finished product for use in your yard or garden then creates a closed loop!

Participating in some form of composting– whether through our curbside program or by composting at home— helps mitigate climate change, and if you use the end product in your garden, helps with soil erosion, plant health, and more! Recycling food and yard waste creates a healthier environment for our communities.

Unfortunately, we recognize that some people who live in larger mult-family dwellings do not have convenient ways to particpate in a curbside composting program or home composting.

Thankfully, several local businesses across the city have drop off containers for food waste, some for a small fee. Most of this is going to the Wasatch Resource Recovery Anaerobic Digestor!

Food Waste Drop-offs

Animalia– This quirky, local artisan store also offers bulk refills on cleaning and beauty products! To top it off, they allow patrons to dispose of their food waste for a small fee, which goes to the cost of compost pick-up.

HelloBulk!- Another popular, and local, bulk dry goods and refill store offers patrons the ability to dispose of food waste at their Salt Lake City location (1185 S 300 W, Salt Lake City, UT).

The Front Climbing Club- Local climbing gym, The Front, also offers residential food waste collection at their downtown, Salt Lake City, location (1470 S 400 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84115).

Wasatch Resource Recovery- This is Utah’s first and only anaerobic digestor dedicated to food waste diversion. This facility also has a residential food waste drop-off on site (1370 W Center St, North Salt Lake, UT 84054). This is available every day of the week, though hours vary.

Thank you to all of the local businesses providing this service so more residents can close the loop on food waste!

Public food waste drop-off containers at Wasatch Resource Recovery.

Mar 9

Be a Recycling Champion! Sign up for SLC’s 2022 Master Recycler Program!

Become a champion for reducing, reusing, and recycling in our community!

Are you interested in the ever-changing landscape of recycling?

Do you want to learn why composting is an integral part of waste diversion?

Have you always wondered why glass is recycled separately in Salt Lake City?

Or wanted to learn how to effectively promote recycling practices within your community?

Salt Lake City Green is excited to announce the 2022 Salt Lake City Master Recycler program! Register now at SLCMasterRecycler.com.

Applications will be accepted through Monday, April 4th (unless we fill up sooner).

This FREE program provides in-depth education about recycling, composting, policy and solid waste management for Salt Lake City community members and professional sustainability practitioners.

Master Recyclers touring the recycling facility (aka a MRF site.)
Master Recyclers touring Momentum Recycling.

The Master Recycler program gives participants a behind-the-scenes look at Salt Lake City’s waste management system from bin to the recycling plant.

Participants are required to attend two “core” classes, Waste and Materials Management I and II, which include tours of the Salt Lake Valley Landfill, Waste Management’s Material Recovery Facility (MRF), and Wasatch Resource Recovery’s anaerobic digester!

After finishing these two classes, participants choose a minimum of four additional electives, and two hands on activities (however, they can take up to 6 electives and 3 activities) from a variety of options, like; Compost 101; Food Waste with Wasatch Resource Recovery; Business & Multi-family Unit Recycling; Glass Recycling; Policy Making 101; and Living a Zero-Waste Lifestyle.

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Nov 22

Going Green for the Holidays!

We can hardly believe it, but the holidays are here! This is a great time of year to support Salt Lake City’s efforts to build a more sustainable and resilient community.

Climate action is on all our minds following COP26, which brought world leaders together to create a pathway towards climate action. While the work internationally must be done, everyone has a part to play and small, locally driven climate action can add up to make change. So as you gear up for the holidays, we have some helpful reminders for ways you can be more sustainable!

A holiday greeting graphic shows the Salt Lake City and county building at center with the words Happy Holidays written over the top. Colorful fall leaves and shapes adorn the sides and the SLCgreen logo is at bottom.
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Aug 2

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A New Partnership Aims to Reduce Food Waste in Salt Lake City and Beyond

by Terra Pace

In Salt Lake City, we’re proud to offer curbside compost collection for residents. That means those brown bins can take more than just leaves and twigs– they can take your fruit and vegetable scraps, eggshells, and coffee grounds.

However, food waste is still a big problem. In the U.S. nearly 40% of the nation’s food supply is thrown out, and according to the EPA, 20% of what goes to municipal landfills is food waste.

While compost operations can handle raw fruit and vegetable scraps, a missing piece of the food waste puzzle– particularly for large operations– is what to do with prepared products. This includes cooked foods, packaged foods, meat, cheese, and leftovers from someone’s dinner plate.

Enter Wasatch Resource Recovery.

Slated for operation in fall of 2018, the company will open an “anaerobic digester” that will be able to turn organic waste– including fats, oils, and grease– into sustainable resources –– biogas and bio-based fertilizer.  This project, which will help to greatly reduce the amount of food going to our landfill, will also generate energy.

Digester Read more