Recycle Utah | Park City, Utah |More Tips

Control electrical leakage and save money on your electric bill.

Just like a water faucet that drips, your electrical appliances leak energy and cost you money. Even when they are turned off, elements inside electrical appliances stay on.

Feel your printer next time you turn it off – is it hot several hours later? Check your DVD player – is there a read-out? Look at your microwave – are there readouts? Check out your stereo – see those little red lights? How about your GFI plugs –is there a little light?

Scientists estimate that small appliances continually use up to 50 watts of electric power or 5 percent of an average home’s monthly electricity use.

When multiplied by the billions of appliances in America, no wonder the United States leads the world in carbon emissions.

One solution is to plug every electrical appliance you can into a power strip and turn the power strip off at night and when you go on vacation.

This practice not only saves electricity, but also can prevent an electrical fire or inadvertent shock.

Sign up for Wind Power

Rocky Mountain Power customers can purchase new wind energy in 100-kilowatt-hour (kwh) increments called "blocks" for an additional fixed cost of $1.95 per block per month

For the average customer, buying one block per month is like purchasing 15 percent of your electric use from wind energy. Average customers purchase seven blocks per month to match 100 percent of their energy use to renewable energy. You can buy as many blocks as you would like.

The power company is required to purchase 3.6 percent of its power from renewable resources including wind and geothermal.

For more information go online at www.rockymountainpower.net/bluesky or stop by Recycle Utah.

The average American family throws away 1500 plastic bags every year.

They end up in landfills, where the petroleum-based plastic can take one thousand years to decompose.

"Plastic bags are a huge problem at the Summit County landfill," said Mark Offret, Public Works Superintendent. “They blow around – thousands of them.”

With an estimated 262 billion plastic bags consumed worldwide this year, plastic bags are a huge problem everywhere.

The Summit County Recycling Task Force is selling totes for $1 at the Courthouse and all the major grocery chains have reusable bags for about the same price.

Checkers at local supermarkets are becoming more familiar with patrons who bring their own bags. Signs on the outside of supermarkets say, “Did you forget your reusable bag?” Many successful bag users keep their reusable bags in the car and put a reminder sticker on the dashboard.

If you forget your own bag, choosing paper bags over plastic bags is more environmentally responsible because paper is a renewable resource.

To buy a reusable shopping bag, click here.

Recycle Utah -- Park City is a “no idling” zone. WHY?

Sam gets 21 miles to the gallon. Alex gets 25 miles to the gallon. They share the same car and use the same delivery route for their employer. Is the difference because Alex drives different days of the week? No. Alex gets better gas mileage because he doesn’t idle his engine.

According to the Consumer Energy Center, for every two minutes a car is idling, it uses about the same amount of fuel it takes to go about one mile. They recommend that if you are going to be parked for more than 30 seconds, turn off the engine. Ten seconds of idling can use more fuel than turning off the engine and restarting it.

Members of the Utah Moms for Clean Air have made the rounds in Summit County explaining the origins of urban smog. Additional tips:

Today's modern engines need no more than 30 seconds of idling, even on winter days. Driving the vehicle is the best way to warm it up. Fuel is only partially burned when idling because the engine is not at peak temperature. Fuel residues can build up on cylinder walls, damaging engine components and increasing fuel consumption. For more information go to www.consumerenergycenter.org/myths/idling.html. and www.utahmomsforcleanair.org

Paper Recycling: More than Newspapers and Office Paper

When people think of recycling paper, they often think only of newspapers and white office paper. BUT . . .

There are lots of other kinds of paper that can be placed in your curbside bin or Recycle Utah’s self-service bins.

Hard cover books can be recycled. Most encyclopedias, outdated textbooks, and torn or poorly bound books cannot be reused. The hard covers are recyclable in the newspaper bin.

Paperback books can be recycled. Outdated telephone books, torn beach books, and old manuals fit into this category.

Spiral bound notebooks are recyclable if the metal or plastic binding is removed and recycled separately.

Greeting cards can be recycled along with unwanted flash cards, index cards, and recipe cards. Glossy magazines, catalogs, advertisements brochures can always be recycled.

To stop unwanted junk mail go to www.obviously.com/junkmail for tips and directions.

For more information call Recycle Utah at 649-9698.

Are CNG Vehicles an Answer to High Gas Prices?

Natural gas is comprised of methane, the same gas generated by cows and landfills. Methane is the perfect bio-fuel because it is a natural byproduct of decay caused by “methanogenic bacteria,” of which there is an abundant supply in the world.

When natural gas is compressed, it can be used as a fuel in any engine. A vehicle becomes an economy car when compressed natural gas system is added to a truck or SUV.

For example, a truck that gets 18 mpg on gasoline can get 21 mpg on CNG, resulting in a fuel cost per mile of $0.03 cents. Compare that with a hybrid vehicle getting 50 mpg and burning toxic gasoline at $4 per gallon -- it costs almost $0.09 cents per mile to drive!

CNG is an inherently clean fuel -- so clean, in fact, that the exhaust can be cleaner than the ambient air. www.cleancities.com And you have the added convenience of filling up your tank at home!

For more information about CNG vehicles go to www.cngmotors.com. For a local contact, call Tai Robinson, Intergalactic Hydrogen, 801-201-7370. To check out CNG prices nationwide go to www.CNGPrices.com.

Lawn Watering Is Restricted

We live in the high desert. Nature here never anticipated Kentucky Bluegrass, thousands of faucets, and miles of asphalt that raises the ambient temperature even more. That's why water restrictions, both legal and self-imposed, are critical to Summit County's water supply. Here are common sense things to do:

Water every third day. NOT every other day. That means TWICE a week. Your roots will grow deeper where the moisture is. (Ordinance in Park City).
Water only between 8 pm and 8 am. Why let evaporation cost you money on your water bill? (Ordinance in Park City

Inspect irrigation systems for leaks and proper spray patterns.
Consider replacing your sprinkler heads with an underground drip system.
Mulch around tree wells and flower beds to retain water there.
Turn sprinklers off when it rains. Consider a “smart” evaporative controller that detects humidity and “knows” when it rains.
Report malfunctioning and non-conforming water systems on public property to the water company.

Bake a Cake in a Solar Oven

With the kids out of school, are you tearing your hair out for something to do together? Why not create a solar oven? All you need are materials from Recycle Utah's ReStore and a few other items.

Materials Needed:

Simple plan: Cardboard box – Recycle Utah's ReStore has moving boxes or you can rescue a box from the cardboard compactor. More ambitious plan: The ReStorehas scrap wood to build a box.
Window or old piece of glass
Aluminum foil or old sheet of metal for reflection.
Rocks or bricks to put under your baking pans so hot air can circulate.
Extra cardboard for a reflector. The one in the picture is supported by a dowel and bungie cord.
Oven thermometer (optional)

Copy the solar oven in the picture by building a box out of cardboard or wood roughly 21'-30” by “21 – 30” and 10-12” deep. Line it with tin foil. Make a lid with glass and a reflector from an old piece of cardboard.
Ask the kids what they want to bake -- banana muffins, zucchini bread, or carrot cake are all healthy choices, but warn them that baking in a solar oven may take all day!

Science Experiments:

Bake simultaneously in a dark pan (cast iron) or a light pan (aluminum). Which bakes faster? Why?
Document temperature readings with the oven thermometer -- How fast does the solar oven heat up? How high will the temperature go? Compare that with a conventional oven.
Send the results of your experiments and pictures of your oven to Recycle Utah's Education Director at lola@recycleutah.org and we'll publish your culinary feats in our newsletter.

Recycling Aluminum Saves Energy

Did you know that every three months Americans bury enough aluminum cans in landfills to rebuild our nation’s entire commercial air fleet? In fact, recycling a single aluminum can saves enough energy to power a TV for three hours. Aluminum is made from bauxite, a mineral that is mined in other countries and transported to the U.S. Electricity “zaps” aluminum powder to remove the oxygen and to create molten metal. The refining process uses a lot of energy. Turning recycled aluminum cans into more aluminum cans consumes far less energy. That’s why recycling aluminum is so important!

The Best Time to Plant is Fall

Gardening in the high desert environment means xeriscaping. Choose water-wise perennials and shrubs that are native to this area. Yarrow, penstamon, serviceberry, and catmint grow beautiful flowers.

Wasatch maple and the Rocky Mountain sugar maple trees will delight you with their colorful leaves that glow brightly in the fall.

Your local nursery can help you with your selection, and teach you how to plant thirstier vegetation near your water source, and drought tolerant plants farther away from your faucet. You can learn about drip irrigation too.

For more information, stop by Recycle Utah at 1951 Woodbine Way in Park City to see our garden and xeriscaping library.

Never Flush Meds Down the Toilet

Whatever the reason, most people have used meds they want to discard. For example, prescription medicines go out of date. Pain pills don’t get all used up. Some medicines are partially consumed but replaced by a more effective prescription. Over the counter pills are unwanted.

Never flush prescription medications down the toilet or sink. The Snyderville Basin Water Reclamation District reports that medicines are a primary cause for concern. The water scrubbing methods that take care of human waste, are not designed to eliminate chemicals or medicines.

Our treated water is released into East Canyon Creek so traces of prescription and over the counter meds can greatly affect water quality.

On Saturday, October 4th take prescription medicines to Recycle Utah, 1951 Woodbine Way in Park City, where the Summit County Sheriff will be collecting them from 9 am to 11 am.

Another option is to wrap them tightly in layers of aluminum foil in their original containers, then throw them into your trash.

Most people place their recycling bins in the kitchen. While convenient, people forget that recyclables are generated throughout the home. Here are some ideas on how you can recycle beyond the kitchen.

Recycle in More Rooms Than Your Kitchen

Place a recycling container in your bathroom for cardboard from toothpaste boxes, medications and toilet paper rolls.

In the office, blue bins for paper next to your computer or desk make for easy recycling of mail, office and school paper. If you shred paper, shred your documents into a brown paper bag for easy recycling. Remember that reuse is better than recycling, so cut some of that white office paper into quarters for scratch paper and art projects.

Play Areas & Bedrooms. Teach your children to recycle in the places where they like to spend time. If you need to sort at home, purchase small bins, or sectioned bins so kids learn to sort.

To purchase a nice assortment of bins, click here or here. Or drop by Recycle Utah at 1951 Woodbine Way for blue recycling bins.

Three Solar Energy Choices

Homeowners can invest in solar energy and reduce their energy bills in the long-term. There are three main choices: (1) solar photovoltaic (“PV”); (2) solar hot water or solar thermal; or (3) passive solar design, such as “day lighting”.

Solar PV systems convert sunlight directly to electricity when electrons are freed by the interaction of sunlight with semiconductor materials in photovoltaic cells and are captured in an electric current.

Solar water heating systems heat buildings and water for culinary use. The systems have two main parts -- a solar collector and a storage tank. A pump or gravity system moves the heated fluid between the collector and the storage tank.

Passive solar design takes advantage of direct or indirect sunlight to heat, light or cool a home. “Day lighting” is a passive solar design principle that uses sunlight to light the interior spaces of the building.

Systems related to residential solar PV, solar hot water or solar thermal may be entitled to federal and state tax credits as well as rebates from local utilities. A good summary of state incentives for renewables and efficiency can be found here. Also see this link.

The answer is maybe. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a small wind energy system can provide you with a practical and economical source of electricity if:

Your property has a good wind resource
Your home or business is located on at least one acre of land in a rural area
Your local zoning codes or covenants allow wind turbines
Your average electricity bills are $150 per month or more
Your property is in a remote location without easy access to utility lines
You are comfortable with long-term investments

Homeowners and farmers should factor in federal or state tax incentives, as well as low-interest loans, grants or other financial assistance, including the sale of green tags, also known as renewable energy credits, or RECs.

Rocky Mountain Power offers net metering to customers with wind or solar power systems that feed excess electricity into the grid. Customers receive a credit on their electric bill, after using all their electricity for their own power needs.

To find out more about renewable energy systems, visit the Green Building Consumer Trade Show, Saturday, Nov. 8th from 10 am to 3 pm at The Canyons Grand Summit, sponsored by Recycle Utah and the Park City Board of Realtors Environmental Issues Committee. For more information call Laurie at 659-6990.

Many thanks to Julia Pettit for this tip.

See ya later, refrigerator!

Now that winter’s here, Recycle Utah must put all major appliances inside the nonprofit’s “ReStore” warehouse to make way for snow removal. Unfortunately, there is usually no room to accept a donation of your old refrigerator during the winter months.

What should you do? Call Rocky Mountain Power. They will pick up your old, working refrigerator and give you $30 to boot. You must be a Rocky Mountain Power customer and your refrigerator must be working.

They must be crazy – why would they do this?

Rocky Mountain Power wants to reduce your electricity load. Refrigerators built prior to 1990 can use two to three times more energy than a high-efficiency one built today.

Federal manufacturing codes were upgraded in 2001, so new models only use about 500 kilowatt-hours per year, or even less. Look for the EnergyStar® label. You can save about $150 a year on your electricity bill if you buy a new model.

To find out more about this program call 866-899- 5539 or go to rockymtnpower.net.

Weatherize Your Home

Now is the time to weatherize your home. Air leaks cost you money. Cold air moves in when fuel-burning appliances decrease the air pressure in your home.

First inspect your home. Find gaps around windows and doors. Patrol your basement or foundation inside and out where wires and pipes enter the house. See if there are gaps and measure the width so you know how much material to buy. Most people can make their home weather-tight with only $50 worth of supplies and a little time.

Also inspect your electrical outlets, fan vents and fireplaces for leaks. You would be surprised how much you’ll save if you tighten up these areas.

Caulking and weather stripping are your two best friends. A caulking gun is easy to use. Check the label of the caulking tube to see if the product is for interior or exterior use. For larger gaps, you may want to purchase a foam sealant. This stuff is fun to watch as it expands into holes, but don’t get any on your clothes – it hardens fast!

Weather stripping is used to fill the gaps between doors and windows and their frames. Weather stripping comes in many shapes and materials. For example, rolled rubber is used at the top and bottom of a window frame and felt is used around a door jamb.

To learn how to weatherize, go to www.powerhousetv.com and click on saving energy > weatherizing. There are more tips and a useful brochure there. Or go to www.recyleutah.org.