Category Archives: Living Green

Art Fans Unite! Festival Runs June 26-29

It’s time for the annual Utah Art’s Festival!

Spanning four days from June 26-29, this momentous event attracts the entire city to enjoy live music, unique film performances, endless art displays, and of course, incredible food. The Arts Festival is an opportunity for everyone to explore, engage, and appreciate the vibrant city culture within Salt Lake.

The festival schedule this year offers everything from beginner’s drawing workshops and comic book creations to epic concert performances and the “Fear No Film” series of unique and impactful independent films. And of course, how could you forget the food? Between Thursday’s Chef Competition, the Leo Libations Wine Pairing workshop, and the numerous booths providing delicious eats, this annual celebration will undoubtedly be a memorable crowd-pleaser.

If you’re still in need of reasons to attend, more good news awaits: this year, the festival is going above and beyond to “green” up the four day celebration.

As in past years, the Festival is offering FREE bike valet services along 400 South in the sponsored Blue Sky Bike Lot. As we all know, downtown parking can be nothing short of a crowded nightmare; do yourself AND the environment a favor and bike down for free! Worried about the trek back? The Library TRAX station is located just outside the festival and can take you safely where you need to go. Additionally, the 228 and 205 buses run directly by the heart of the festival; you, your friends, and your bike can catch a hands-free ride home after a day of artistic enjoyment.

The Arts Festival is also proud to announce this year’s recycling opportunities for plastic bottles, cups, aluminum cans, cardboard, glass, food scraps, and even vegetable oil. Be sure to keep an eye out around the tents for designated garbage, recycle, and compost bins throughout the plaza. Our beautiful city will thank you!

Even more exciting news: Rocky Mountain Power, in partnership with Blue Sky, will be transforming the festival into an entirely “green” event by supporting renewable energy equivalent to the amount required to fuel the four-day celebration. To put this in numbers, the Festival will be preventing the potential emission of 87,398 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. With the additional help of all the attendees who will spend the days enjoying the outdoors rather than driving around, it’s safe to say that the Utah Arts Festival is officially a notable step towards a greener Salt Lake!

If you’ve ever doubted joining in on this annual event, 2014 is certainly the year to hop on board and let loose for a weekend of great food, incredible art, lively performances, and now more than ever, the chance to help keep our beautiful environment clean. See you all there!

This post was written by SLCgreen intern Lauren Mills.

Farmers Markets are in Bloom!

Summer is kicking into gear, and Farmers Markets are returning to Salt Lake City! The highly popular Downtown Farmers Market opens this Saturday, June 14th at Pioneer Park. Spring and early summer crops include greens, herbs, asparagus, strawberries, kale and spinach. Baked goods, locally-raised meats, jams and spreads, sauces and local crafts are also available.

SLCgreen will be there, so be sure to stop by our booth to grab information about home composting, air quality and all of your curbside sanitation services in SLC. Our booth is located on the north side of the park.

And if you do stop by the market this Saturday, head to the center of the park to catch the 2014 Clear the Air Challenge kickoff event at 10 a.m. We’re gearing up for another summer of driving less, driving smarter to reduce vehicle emissions and help clear the air!

Here’s our quick rundown of Farmers Market opportunities in the city.

*Downtown Farmers Market
Sat: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. (Jun 14 – Oct 25)
Tues: 4 p.m. – dusk (Aug 5 – Oct 21)
Historic Pioneer Park, 300 S. 300 W.

*International Rescue Committee’s Farm Stand
New Roots Farm Stand Valley Center Park (4013 South 700 West)
Every Saturday from June 14 until October 11 from 1–3 p.m.
Information: 801-328-1091

*9th West Farmers Market (formerly the People’s Market)
Sun: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. (May 11 – Oct 26)
International Peace Gardens, 1000 S. 900 W.

*Sugar House Farmers Market
Fri: 4pm – 8pm (Jul 11 – Oct 13)
Sugarmont Plaza (2200 S. Highland Dr.)
The Sugar House Farmers (mini) Market is in full swing right now!
Stop by every Friday in June and early July for a mini version of the full market.

*University of Utah Farmers Market
Thurs: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. (Aug 28 – Oct 9)
U of U Tanner Plaza, 201 S. 1460 E.

*SNAP/Food Stamps accepted

Stop by the Sorenson CommUNITY Fair Tonight!

SorensonCommUNITYFair

Join the Sorenson Unity Center for the 6th Annual CommUNITY Fair. Find out what your community has to offer with local vendors, kid’s activities, and live entertainment for the whole family.

The fair features a FREE bounce house, sumo suits, obstacle course, games, face painting, and much more. Remember to enter our raffle to win some great prizes. Get some great food from local food vendors, FREE Creamies and first 100 FREE food vouchers while supplies last.

And while you’re there, be sure to stop by the SLCgreen booth to say “hello!” and pick up your copy of our new guide to your curbside services!

6th Annual Sorenson CommUNITY Fair
Thursday, May 29th from 5 – 8 p.m.
Sorenson Unity Center (1383 South 900 West)

Living Traditions Returns this Weekend

livingtraditionsbanner

Have you ever wanted to travel around the world?

The Living Traditions Festival returns to Library Square this weekend to celebrate the vibrant and diverse culture we embrace right here in Salt Lake City!

The festival features local folk and ethnic arts. With three stages of entertainment, from Scandinavian dancing to Native American traditional music, prepare to be dazzled from the moment you enter. There will also be food tents with a wide spectrum of delicious delights, and tents filled with trinkets and goodies that you just won’t resist.

This year there are two featured artists. Red Baraat will be playing on the North Stage at 8:30 p.m. on Friday (May 16) and Quetzal will also be performing on the North Stage at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday (May 18).

The SLCgreen crew recommends taking alternative transportation to the festival. Library Square can be accessed by TRAX from either the Library Station (Red Line) or Courthouse (Blue and Green Line) Station. The Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective is offering a complimentary bike valet service at the northeast entrance of the festival grounds. And if you must drive, carpool with some friends so you can all enjoy the festivities!

Full schedule:

Friday, May 16: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Saturday, May 17: Noon to 10 p.m.
Sunday, May 18: Noon to 7 p.m.

More details are available on the Living Traditions Festival website.

Spring Cleaning: Our Guide to Clearing Out Your Clutter!

Donate old toys to a local charity. Photo credit: David Zellaby via Flickr.

Donate old toys to a local charity. Photo credit: David Zellaby via Flickr.

[We stopped by KUTV 2News to share these tips. Watch the segment!]

Spring is in full swing in Salt Lake City. If you’ve caught the spring cleaning bug, we’ve got some tips on how to clean out your clutter without sending items to the landfill.

Books

Before tossing them, check to see if they are in relatively good condition. If so, donate them to a local charity for resale. If your books are beyond repair, put them in your curbside recycling bin.

Toys

If you have toys that are in good condition, considering posting them on KSL.com or Craigslist for some extra cash.

Or give them away to a family with young children — you might even be able to arrange a swap! And you can always donate them to a local charity so they can find new life.

Toys that have seen their last playtime can often be recycled. A great example — any toys made entirely of plastic.

Electronics

If your old TV, computer, mobile phone, etc. is still in working order, donate it!

If these items are no longer functional, recycle them responsibly at one of SLCgreen’s e-waste recycling events this summer. All events run from 8 a.m. to noon at the following Smith’s Food & Drug locations:

  • May 17: 455 S 500 East
  • June 21: 876 E 800 South
  • July 19: 1174 W 600 North
  • August 16: 455 S 500 East

More information, including a list of acceptable items.

Furniture

Furniture in good condition can be sold on KSL.com or Craiglist. Donation is another excellent option.

If your furniture is broken, it is an acceptable item to place on the curb during your Salt Lake City Neighborhood Cleanup Day.

Cleaning Supplies

After you clear out your clutter, it’s time to clean things up! We recommend using green cleaning alternatives. Check out this blog for more details, including recipes to make your own green cleaner.

Earth Day Impact: Reduce & Reuse

Are you wondering what you can do to reduce your impact this Earth Day — and every day?

More than 1,300 tons of garbage is buried in the Salt Lake Valley Landfill every day. Here are a few simple things you can do to limit your impact.

Reusable Products

reusable bagDitch the disposables! Embrace reusable bags when you go to the grocery store.

Say goodbye to expensive and wasteful plastic water bottles. Instead, swap in a reusable glass or stainless steel bottle. You can even purchase an insulated version to keep your drinks cool on hot summer days. Salt Lake City’s TapIt program boasts a network of businesses that will refill your bottle with fresh water, too!

And speaking of drinks, bring a reusable coffee mug to your local coffee shop. You’ll even get a discount on your next latte!

Avoid Overpackaging

Sure, those individually packaged mini carrots may save you a few seconds when you are packing lunches in the morning, but is that worth the extra money and wasted material?

Save some green and reduce your weekly waste by buying a large package instead, and placing them in reusable containers each day. More tips to green your lunch.

Reduce Junk Mail

We all get it, and we all hate it.

GlobalStewards.org has some tips to reduce the amount of unwanted mail you receive. In a few simple steps, you can cut out mass marketing mailers, catalogs and credit card offers!

You can also reduce your impact by going “paperless” for your monthly credit card, bank and utility statements.

Just getting started? Get more tips at SLCgreen.com.

We stopped by KUTV2 News on Earth Day to share these tips. Watch the video of the segment!

 

LiveGreen SLC! Festival: May 3, 2014

LiveGreenSLC2013

Spring is here, and the annual LiveGreen SLC! Festival is on the horizon.

Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 3rd at Library Square from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Salt Lake City, Utah’s 2014 annual Live Green SLC! Festival, presented by ReDirect Guide, showcases a full spectrum of sustainable green products, services and ideas from cutting edge renewable technologies to everyday solutions that can be implemented in the home.

At this outdoor event, held in the beautiful downtown Library Plaza, attendees will enjoy features such as interactive and educational exhibits, local and organic foods and goods, live auctions, a children’s area, eco-carnival games, music, entertainment and much more.

There are three great ways to get involved:

  • Exhibit! Host a booth to present your green products or services and connect with a great community of green-inspired people. Salt Lake City e2 Businesses get 25% off booth space.
  • Become a sponsor. Let your organization benefit from the good will and strong media outreach and promotional efforts associated with the LiveGreen SLC! Festival.
  • Volunteer. Get involved and experience amazing opportunities to lend a hand, make connections, and have some fun!

SLC Embraces Earth Hour

This year, Salt Lake City will participate in Earth Hour, turning off the lights of the Salt Lake City & County Building at 8:30 p.m. next Saturday, March 29th.

Check out the FAQs below to learn more about this effort, and find out how you can get involved!

What is Earth Hour?

Earth Hour is a worldwide grassroots movement uniting people to protect the planet, and is organised by WWF. Engaging a massive mainstream community on a broad range of environmental issues, Earth Hour was famously started as a lights-off event in Sydney, Australia in 2007. Since then it has grown to engage more than 7000 cities and towns worldwide, and the one-hour event continues to remain the key driver of the now larger movement.

When does Earth Hour take place?

Earth Hour 2014 will be held on Saturday, March 29th between 8.30 p.m. and 9.30 p.m. in your local time zone. The event is held worldwide towards the end of March annually, encouraging individuals, communities households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour as a symbol for their commitment to the planet. Earth Hour 2015 will take place on Saturday, March 28th at 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in your local timezone.

What does Earth Hour aim to achieve?

Earth Hour aims to encourage an interconnected global community to share the opportunities and challenges of creating a sustainable world.

How can I get involved?

The first thing anyone can do to get involved is to turn off their lights on Saturday. But there’s much, much more. Our full ambition is for people to take action beyond the hour. Whether it’s supporting a crowd-funding or crowd-sourcing campaign on www.earthhour.org or starting the movement in their own community. The vision is always to do more, so make the light switch the beginning of your journey.

Get inspired to take action at SLCgreen.com.

Sustainability Position at Hogle Zoo!

Hogle Kickoff 1Utah’s Hogle Zoo is hiring a environmental coordinator — a brand new position that will be focused on facilitating the Zoo’s move towards sustainability.

Here is the official job posting —

Posted: February 20, 2014
Position: Environmental Coordinator
Department: Conservation

Utah’s Hogle Zoo’s Conservation Department is announcing the opening of a full-time position as the Zoo’s Environmental Coordinator.

The Zoo is seeking an enterprising and energetic individual for a newly created Environmental Coordinator position. The Coordinator will assist in facilitating the Zoo’s move towards sustainability. This position reports to the Zoo’s Conservation Coordinator. The Environmental Coordinator will be responsible for developing and tracking the organization’s carbon footprint, tracking environmental compliance, expanding staff and guest awareness programs and assist with the development of the Zoo’s Sustainability Plan.

This is a full time position compensated at an hourly rate with excellent rewards program including a comprehensive benefits package, work-life balance programs and opportunities for professional development.
Candidates with a bachelor’s degree in environment and sustainability studies or related field are preferred. Candidates with previous experience in an environmental related position are also preferred. Candidates must demonstrate strong organizational, communication (both written and oral) and interpersonal skills. Individuals with a strong working knowledge and dedicated interest for the concept of sustainability, awareness of the central issues and controversies should consider applying.

Additionally, applicants must be able to:

  • Work positively in a team environment,
  • Represent the Zoo’s mission in public forums,
  • Be self-motivated, organized and reliable
  • Be flexible and adapt to complex situations,
  • Demonstrate strong computer skills in data management word processing and presentation software
  • Work occasional evenings and weekends as needed
  • Stand or walk for long periods of time, bending, stooping, and lifting of heavy objects (up to 40 pounds)

Anyone interested in this position should email a cover letter and resume to Liz Larsen, llarsen@hoglezoo.org, Conservation Coordinator at Utah’s Hogle Zoo, by March 15, 2014.