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Category Archives: General Sustainability
SLCgreen Has a New Look!
Salt Lake City Green has a new look!
We are bidding goodbye to our original logo, which has been with the department since its creation. The new logo incorporates the iconic Salt Lake City-County Building, which is featured in the official Salt Lake City seal. The incorporation of the seal reaffirms our connection to Salt Lake City, and provides a simple, yet modern perspective.
SLCgreen is in the process of transitioning over to the new logo, but it will take some time to get all our materials updated. Look for the new logo at community events all summer, and be sure to stop by our booth to say hell0!
We are very pleased with the upgrade, and look forward to continuing to work closely with our residents and community organizations to make Salt Lake City the greenest city possible!
Best,
SLCgreen staff
The old Salt Lake City Green logo. Gone, but not forgotten!
Earth Day in SLC
With Earth Day right around the corner (Monday, April 22nd) we wanted to share a few tips and events to help our residents green their lifestyle and commemorate this special day in Salt Lake City!
15 Earth Day Tips that Really Make a Difference
We spotted this excellent article on The Daily Green, and thought we would share their 15 tips to a greener lifestyle. We love how simple their recommendations are, and the fact that each of them can have an impact! Get the full scoop on The Daily Green.
- Avoid waste: recycle. Salt Lake City makes it easy to recycle common household waste with curbside mixed recycling and curbside glass.
- Give up plastic (and paper) bags. Bring your own reusable grocery bags and save money, energy and natural resources.
- Stop buying bottled water. Buy one reusable water bottle and save some serious cash. We recommend aluminum or stainless steel.
- Stop receiving unwanted catalogs. We have tips on stopping unwanted junk mail on our website.
- Give up conventional detergents. Natural cleaners have less chemicals and work effectively at cooler temperatures.
- Give up hot water (at least in the clothes washer). About 90% of the energy used during a wash cycle is to heat the water.
- Give up the clothes dryer. Or optimize your dryer loads.
- Check for leaks in your toilet. Save water and money with a simple test.
- Use recycled toilet paper. It costs about the same as regular toilet paper.
- Give up paper towels. Invest in some reusable microfiber towels, which can be easily washed and reused again.
- Run a fully loaded dishwasher. Save energy and water when you skip partial loads.
- Lower the temp in your fridge. The fridge accounts for 10 to 15 percent of the average home energy bill each month!
- Give up 2 degrees. Set your thermostat to 78 degrees or more during the summer months.
- Give up dry cleaning. Check the labels when you purchase new clothes.
- Stop wasting gas! Be idle free, avoid jack rabbit starts and stops and check your tire pressure.
Earth Week @ The U
The University of Utah is celebrating Earth Week with a variety of events. View the Earth Week schedule.
Get Involved in SLC
Service in the City has created an excellent handout that outlines a variety of events and other opportunities in conjunction with Earth Day 2013. Check it out and get involved! (PDF)
Live Green Returns to SLC May 4
Photo courtesy of Live Green SLC: http://livegreenslc.com
Mark your calendar to join us at next month’s Live Green SLC! Festival on Saturday, May 4th at the beautiful downtown Library Square!
Admission is completely free to this outdoor event, which showcases ideas for sustainable living. From cutting edge renewable energy to backyard food production – you’ll be able to explore everyday solutions that can be implemented in your own home!
There will be free green goodies to first 1,000 attendees, plus live bands, an Eco-Chic fashion show, kids’ activities, green auctions, interactive exhibits, a solar powered food and beer pavilion and much, much more!
Join the Online Super Green Contest for your chance to walk away with some super green prizes. More than $1,000 in prizes will be given away.
The festival is looking for volunteers, please let them know if you are interested.
Be sure to stop by the SLCGreen booth to say hello and get information on our programs, services and living green in Salt Lake City. We’ll see you there!
Open Streets
Enjoy 1.5 miles of downtown streets opened exclusively to walking, biking, and other activities on Saturday, May 4th from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on 300 South/Broadway.
Open Streets events temporarily open a series of city streets exclusively to walking, jogging, bicycling, rollerblading, and more. These events encourage new people to try walking and bicycling in a comfortable and fun environment. Supporting activities regularly include exercise classes, dance classes, yoga, aerobics, sports, and family-friendly games and activities.
Get the scoop at the Open Streets SLC Facebook page.
What’s the Deal with VOCs?
The Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is proposing a new rule that would lower the volatile organic compound (VOC) content in dozens of common household products.
One of these products – hairspray – has been getting a lot of media attention over the past few weeks. But in the dozens of stories about the proposed rule, which was created to help reduce air pollution and improve air quality, we have noticed the absence of health information.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists the following health effects tied to VOCs:
- Eye, nose and throat irritation
- Headaches
- Loss of coordination
- Nausea
- Damage to liver, kidney and central nervous system
- Some organics can cause cancer in animals; some are suspected or known to cause cancer in humans
At present, not much is known about the short-term and long-term health effects of household VOC exposure. Breathing in low levels of VOCs may increase some people’s risk of health problems. Studies have found that levels of several organics average 2 to 5 times higher indoors than outdoors. Common household culprits that release VOCs when used include:
- Cosmetics
- Personal care products
- Disinfectants
- Laundry detergents
- Air fresheners
- Fabric softeners
- Dryer sheets
- Dish detergents
- All-purpose cleaners
- Soaps
- Hand sanitizers
- Lotions
- Deodorants
- Shampoos
- Hair spray
DEQ’s proposed rule would limit the VOC content of these products – not prohibit them. Most manufacturers already offer lower VOC versions of their products to comply with similar rules in 16 other states and the District of Columbia. Learn more from DEQ.
Our two cents: If lower VOC products will reduce both indoor and outdoor air pollution – the health effects of which are not fully known – what is the downside?
City Releases Sustainability Roadmap for 2015
 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
City Releases Sustainability Roadmap for 2015 |
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| SALT LAKE CITY – In a continued effort to enhance the long-term vitality of the City, Salt Lake City Green, the outreach arm of Salt Lake City’s Sustainability Division, has made strides to enhance community engagement by offering new resources and services to residents.
With the release of the Sustainable Salt Lake City – Plan 2015, Salt Lake City has created a living document that serves as a roadmap for how to enhance the sustainability, livability and resilience of the community. The comprehensive plan outlines goals and strategies to achieve increased community sustainability, social justice and neighborhood and downtown vitality by the end of Mayor Ralph Becker’s second term in 2015. City departments will track appropriate metrics to show progress towards accomplishing their goals. “As we look ahead toward 2015, we envision continued progress to a new kind of urbanism that embraces accessibility, sustainability, diversity and culture,” said Mayor Ralph Becker. “Sustainable Salt Lake – Plan 2015 reflects a broad and ambitious agenda to protect our resources, enhance our assets and establish a path toward greater resiliency and vitality for every aspect of our community.” In addition to the release of the sustainability plan, Salt Lake City Green has updgraded several of its outreach tools, including a re-launch of a comprehensive sustainability website (www.slcgreen.com), an active social media presence on Facebook and Twitter, and a new blog that highlights information about living sustainably in Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City continues to attract national attention for its sustainability efforts. The most recent accolade was delivered in Bill Moyers’ “Top 12 Cities Leading the Way in Sustainability” list. The ranking listed the top 12 American cities with innovative sustainability initiatives. Salt Lake City was awarded the eighth spot on the list.
Salt Lake City Green website:www.slcgreen.com; Blog:www.slcgreen.wordpress.com Facebook:www.facebook.com/saltlakecitygreen; Twitter: www.twitter.com/slcgreen; Sustainable Salt Lake – Plan 2015:www.slcgov.com/slcgreen/sustainableslc2015 |
Salt Lake City Publishes GPS Online
Salt Lake City Green and it’s parent, the Salt Lake City Public Services Department, are taking another important step towards increased city transparency by publishing fleet GPS data online.
Sanitation Services (Waste, Recycling and Yard Waste Haulers)
Salt Lake City uses GPS technology to track the location and activity of its Sanitation Fleet. There are a total of 33 fleet vehicles, with up to 26 running routes on any given day. 19 fleet vehicles run on compressed natural gas (CNG), with an additional 14 that use diesel fuel.
Where are those snow plows?
Salt Lake City also uses GPS technology to track the location and activity of its Snow Fleet. There are a total of 45 plows available during major storms. During an active storm, you can view real-time map to locate and track plows in your area.
GPS Map Key
- GPS information updates every two minutes.
- Color coded system indicates activity level:
- Green – Moving
- Yellow – Stopped for less than an hour
- Red – Stopped for more than an hour
- Blue – Idling *
* Salt Lake City has an strict internal idling policy, in addition to the Idle Free Ordinance. There are a few situations where Sanitation vehicles need to idle. For example, in areas with limited space where bins must be brought to a stationary vehicle for service (like a cul-de-sac).