Category Archives: 2017

SLC’s Newest Recycling Trucks Remind Us to Ditch the Disposables

By Kyle Strayer

Keep an eye out for the city’s newest recycling trucks with our “Ditch Your Disposables” image.

The wrap covers eight of the new trucks, which have replaced older models. They are the newest addition to the city’s fleet of 34 trucks. (Check out previous years’ truck wraps here and here.)

Beyond the nifty new wrap, these state-of-the-art recycling trucks have a dynamic mechanical arm, multiple camera feeds displayed on the dashboard, two on-board trash compactors, and can haul 9 – 10 tons of material each.

Each truck has a low-emission profile too– three are Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and five are new clean diesel (100% of Salt Lake City’s refuse trucks are either CNG or clean diesel).

If you live in SLC, every item you recycle is eventually hauled off in one of the City’s trucks and taken to a recycling facility. These trucks travel miles of city streets every day, collecting material and sending it off to be made into something new.

Their widespread visibility is one reason we use them for public education.

So back to the new wrap: Why the slogan “Wash, Reuse, Repeat”?

Simply washing your durable products– whether a glass, coffee mug, silverware, or plate– instead of opting for disposables can save tons of material from going to the landfill each year.

(Sometimes disposable products are recycled, but usually they end up in the landfill. The waxy lining on paper coffee cups and plates makes them non-recyclable; and the difficult size and variable components of plastic utensils makes them ill-suited for recycling.)

Remember the tag line “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”?

We think the first and second words and resulting behaviors need a little more love.

“Wash Reuse Repeat” is a new spin on the original slogan, reminding everyone that: Continue reading →

Salt Lake City Debuts 28 New Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Mayor Biskupski charges up an electric vehicle using one of the 28 new Level 2 EV charging ports located across Salt Lake City.

Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski and DAQ Director Bryce Bird announced Wednesday the addition of 28 new electrical vehicle charging ports across the city.

The new “smart” Level 2 EV charging stations are located at 12 sites—new and existing—across Salt Lake City and have replaced five older units.

Locations include the International Peace Gardens in Jordan Park, Sorenson Multicultural Center, Sunnyside Avenue near Hogle Zoo, Pioneer Park, the Forest Dale Golf Course, and more.

Continue reading →

Good News on Solar in Utah

Google’s Project Sunroof shows Salt Lake City’s massive solar potential. Click the image to navigate to the Sunroof site to explore the city’s energy potential.

Did you know that more solar energy reaches Earth in just five days than all of the fossil fuel reserves combined? Harnessing that solar energy is a critical part of switching to renewable energy and creating a more sustainable community, especially for sunny Utah.

And while the $2,000 state solar tax credit is set to phase out by 2021, there’s still enormous room for growth.

Continue reading →

March 30 PCE Plume Site Meeting in Salt Lake City

Potential contamination from dry cleaning operations at the VA Hospital in the 1970s have led the EPA and Veterans Administration to study and seek remediation for a PCE groundwater plume on the east bench in Salt Lake City. The plume is located generally within the area bounded by 500 South and Michigan Avenue and between Guardsman Way and 1100 East.

From the VA site:

“PCE contamination was first detected in this area in the 1990s during routine sampling of the Mount Olivet Cemetery irrigation well. As a result of PCE discovery at this location, the PCE plume was referred to as the Mount Olivet Cemetery Plume. Subsequent investigations proceeded, including a 1995 report by the State of Utah. This report was unable to determine where the PCE originated, but pointed out that the George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center (VAMC) operated a dry cleaning facility that utilized PCE on site in the late 1970s.”

Air Quality in the Utah Legislative Session

The Utah Legislative Session is in its final days. All proposed bills must be passed before midnight on March 9.

Salt Lake City has staff who attend important hearings, speak to our legislators, and represent the City’s interests in the 45-day session. Here in the Sustainability Department, we closely follow important bills particularly as they relate to air quality, energy, food, and other sustainability initiatives.

One of the most impactful ways to improve air quality is to fully fund the state agencies that must research and regulate it. This is a common sense measure that Salt Lake City supports. Because it is not under our purview to regulate air quality permits, emissions, or compliance with the federal Clean Air Act, we want to see the State’s Division of Air Quality– which does undertake those tasks–receive the funding they need to do their jobs effectively.

However, receiving their full appropriations request is never a sure thing.

In the waning days of the 2017 session, we hope the Utah Legislature will support clean air funding and other bills to reduce pollution.

For more information, please read the below copy of Breathe Utah’s recent letter to the Executive Appropriations Committee. To stay informed on air quality legislation, please visit HEAL Utah, Breathe Utah, Utah Clean Energy, or Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment.

March 8, 2017

To: The Honorable Members of the Executive Appropriations Committee

Re: Budget for the Division of Air Quality Continue reading →

Join Local and International Leaders For 2 Day Sustainability Summit

SLCgreen is proud to be a part of the 8th annual Intermountain Sustainability Summit. Our Department Director Vicki Bennett and City Energy Project Advisor Wendy Lee will be speaking on the 17th. To register for the Summit click here to view student and professional registration rates.

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Want an Inside Look at SLC’s Waste Management System? Master Recycler 2017 is Now Enrolling!

Are you interested in the nitty gritty of recycling?

In learning why plastic bags are so hard to deal with?

Or what happens when garbage gets sent to the landfill?

Would you like to become a greater champion for reducing, reusing, and recycling in our community?

Then consider joining Salt Lake City’s 2017 “Master Recycler program!”

The program has been providing in-depth education about recycling, composting, and solid waste management to Salt Lake community members since 2015. It gives participants a behind-the-scenes look at Salt Lake City’s waste management system from bin to recycling plant.

Our mission is “to create a network of champions who are trained in waste reduction strategies and are able to assist with outreach and engagement in the Salt Lake City community.”

By learning from outreach experts and visiting waste management facilities, Master Recyclers are empowered to educate their own communities about all aspects of waste reduction.

Everyone is welcome to participate! Registration is open until the class is full.

Continue reading →

Salt Lake City and Utah Clean Energy Release 10 Year Solar Deployment Plan

by Avery Driscoll

Solar’s been in the news a lot lately. Tax incentives, rate structures, and more have been keeping policy makers, utility staff, and renewable advocates busy.

One reason is that solar is growing at an exponential rate! In fact, Utah is now the 16th largest solar producer in the country.

Our state’s rooftop solar energy production has grown from one-tenth of a megawatt to an estimated 140 megawatts in just ten years. This means that the market for rooftop solar power has grown by 140,000% in a decade, and that doesn’t even include the increase in utility-scale production!

In order to ensure that solar production can continue to grow, the local non-profit Utah Clean Energy recently released A 10 Year Solar Deployment Plan for Utah, which was produced in partnership with Salt Lake City. Continue reading →

Salt Lake City’s 2017 Building Energy Efficiency Challenge Kicks Off

Salt Lake City and Salt Lake Chamber partner on the Third Annual Skyline Challenge to accelerate commercial building energy efficiency

As part of her mission to improve air quality, reduce carbon emissions, and form strong partnerships with the business community, Mayor Jackie Biskupski is pleased to launch the Third Annual Skyline Challenge—this year with the Salt Lake Chamber joining the roster of partners.

The annual Skyline Challenge is a voluntary program to accelerate investment in energy efficiency from large commercial buildings and raise public awareness of building energy performance while creating jobs and fostering a stronger local economy.

Continue reading →

Mayor Biskupski’s State of the City Sustainability Highlights

We’ve accomplished a lot in the last year! From a Cooperation Statement with our electric utility, to a new community garden, to a mobile farm stand, to the announcement of ambitious climate goals, Salt Lake City has made great strides in 2016. Read on for Sustainability highlights from the Mayor’s State of the City.

Continue reading →