The Leonardo UpCycle Project

Our friends at The Leonardo have a very cool project that we just had to share with our readers!

The UpCycle Project takes items destined for the landfill and uses them to fuel innovation and creativity. Residents can drop off their old clutter which will then be up-cycled into a cool Art or Science project. Then stop by The Leo’s Tinkering Garage or the art Lab @ Leo to take part in one of their fun up-cycling activities!

Here’s a sample of items they are able to accept:

upcyclechart

Materials can be dropped off any time during regular business hours. More information is available on their website.

Be a Bicycle Ambassador

bicycle

Exciting news from Salt Lake County! Earlier this week, they introduced the first county-wide Bicycle Ambassador program in the United States.

Salt Lake County’s Bicycle Ambassadors will provide bicycle outreach and education to all 17 cities and unincorporated areas throughout Salt Lake County.

SLCo Bicycle Ambassadors are a group of outgoing and informed bicycle commuters in Salt Lake County. They travel by bicycle, promote bicycle use, serve as positive examples of responsible bicycling and serve as community resources for bicycle commuting support and guidance.

Become an Ambassador

Salt Lake County residents of all ages are encouraged to apply to become Bicycle Ambassadors. A successful candidate will be passionate about bicycles and knowledgeable of bicycle commuting in Salt Lake County.

More Information

Get more information on their website, and don’t forget to “like” them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter!

Media Coverage

Fox 13

The Salt Lake Tribune

Deseret News

DEQ Launches Air Quality Video Contest

Our friends at the Utah Department of Environmental Quality recently launched a video contest. They are looking for creative, 30 second public service announcements that can be used to educate Utahns about ozone and give them ideas to help improve our summer air quality.

Watch the introductory video to learn more about the contest:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7L27dtwQuFw?rel=0]

Prizes are at stake! First place will receive $500, with additional cash prizes for second and third place winners. Entries must be received by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 28th, so you have just a few weeks to get your award-winning video together!

Remember, this contest is specific to summer air quality, which comes in the form of ozone pollution. Learn more about the contest on the DEQ website. 

SLC Sanitation Launches New Customer Form

CNG-refuse-truck-fueling

Salt Lake City’s Sanitation Division recently launched a new online form that makes it easier for residents to report service issues related to their waste, recycling and curbside compost (yard waste) bins.

The online form covers the following common requests:

  • Missed pickup
  • Broken bin
  • Lost or stolen bin
  • Bins left overnight
  • Bins blocking traffic or bike lane
  • Seasonal – extra leaf bin and holiday tree pickup

Residents can also always call Sanitation Customer Service directly at (801) 535-6999. Learn more about your curbside waste service.

Grow Your Own Indoor Herbs

herbs

Salt Lake City Green joined forces with KUTV2 this morning to show viewers how easy it is to grow your own indoor herb garden! View the segment.

Tools

  • Planter – choose one with excellent drainage.
  • A few of your favorite herbs – we love basil, oregano, rosemary, parsley and thyme.
  • Watering can
  • Potting soil – use a few rocks at the bottom of your planter to improve drainage.

Getting Started

If you are a novice gardener or don’t have much of a green thumb, growing an indoor culinary herb garden is an easy place to start. Most herbs are sun worshipers, so all you need to get started is a nice, sunny place in your home.

Plant

  • Start with a container large enough to accommodate growth.
  • Fill the pot with soil three quarters of the way full.
  • Moisten the soil
  • Remove herbs, loosen soil.
  • Place herbs in pot and fill with enough soil to cover the root ball.
  • Pat the soil down lightly and water well.

Care

  • Light is the most important element in growing indoor herbs. Find a spot that gets at least 6-8 hours of light a day.
    • Herbs growing long stems and few leaves are probably not getting enough light and are stretching to find it.
  • Water each herb according to its individual needs. To avoid over watering, only water your herbs when you see them start to wilt. This should be about once a week.
  • Regular clipping will promote further growth, so use your herbs frequently. But don’t cut more than a third off at one time.
  • If your herbs start flowering, they are not being clipped enough!

Enjoy!

Growing your own indoor herbs is an easy way to jazz up your cooking and experiment with new flavors — all while saving money. Just remember that fresh herbs have a 3:1 ratio, which means that you should use three times the amount of fresh herbs compared to their dry counterparts.

Bridget Stuchly with SLCGreen shows KUTV2's Mary Nickles how to plant an indoor herb garden.

Bridget Stuchly with SLCGreen shows KUTV2’s Mary Nickles how to plant an indoor herb garden.

Earth Day in SLC

Green Grass

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.

  1. Avoid waste: recycle. Salt Lake City makes it easy to recycle common household waste with curbside mixed recycling and curbside glass.
  2. Give up plastic (and paper) bags. Bring your own reusable grocery bags and save money, energy and natural resources.
  3. Stop buying bottled water. Buy one reusable water bottle and save some serious cash. We recommend aluminum or stainless steel.
  4. Stop receiving unwanted catalogs. We have tips on stopping unwanted junk mail on our website.
  5. Give up conventional detergents. Natural cleaners have less chemicals and work effectively at cooler temperatures.
  6. 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.
  7. Give up the clothes dryer. Or optimize your dryer loads.
  8. Check for leaks in your toilet. Save water and money with a simple test.
  9. Use recycled toilet paper. It costs about the same as regular toilet paper.
  10. Give up paper towels. Invest in some reusable microfiber towels, which can be easily washed and reused again.
  11. Run a fully loaded dishwasher. Save energy and water when you skip partial loads.
  12. Lower the temp in your fridge. The fridge accounts for 10 to 15 percent of the average home energy bill each month!
  13. Give up 2 degrees. Set your thermostat to 78 degrees or more during the summer months.
  14. Give up dry cleaning. Check the labels when you purchase new clothes.
  15. 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)

Earth-Day-2013

Fairpark Embraces SmartTrips

MayorBecker_web

Last Friday, Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, Councilmember Stan Penfold, community members and the news media came together to celebrate the launch of the 2013 SmartTrips program in the Fairpark neighborhood.

FOX 13’s Ashton Goodell put together a fantastic story about SmartTrips, watch the video.

The first SmartTrips newsletter (PDF) went out last week to roughly 1700 households in the neighborhood. The newsletter included an order form offering customized information, resources and freebies to make it easier for residents to drive less this summer.

Sunday marked the official opening of the new Airport TRAX line, with community celebrations and free rides on Saturday. The line is now up and running every 15 minutes on the Green Line (transfers available at all downtown stops from the Blue and Red TRAX lines).

The Fairpark neighborhood is embracing the new TRAX line and North Temple “Complete Street” with vehicle lanes, transit, bike lanes and enhanced pedestrian access, making it the perfect neighborhood for SmartTrips 2013! Learn more. SmartTrips is also on Facebook!

greenline_forweb

The Return of the Salt Lake Streetcar

StreetcarPhase1

Streetcars are making a comeback across the country, and Utah will soon join the movement. The first phase of the Sugar House Streetcar project is set to open December 2013, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome the first of what we hope will be several streetcar lines to Salt Lake City.

Well, we should say welcome back. Many years ago, Salt Lake City had an extensive streetcar network with lines stretching from Capitol Hill/The Avenues all the way into Sugar House.

Streetcar 101

It is easy to confuse the future streetcar with the TRAX system already in place. Streetcars move at much slower speeds, generally 7-12 miles per hour, while your average pedestrian travels at 3 miles per hour. Stations resemble covered bus stops and the rail lines are often integrated with existing roads.

One of Portland's popular streetcars.

One of Portland’s popular streetcars.

Phase 1

Phase 1 of the Sugar House Streetcar project is currently under construction and will run from the 2100 South TRAX station along Sugarmont Avenue, ending at McClelland (roughly 1050 East). This section of the streetcar line will open December 2013.

Phase 2

Phase 2 of the project will be the continuation of the streetcar line, which was the subject of an exhaustive study that considered land use, street amenities, housing and ridership.

The study was prepared over the course of 18 months, and recommends that the streetcar line extend from McClelland to Highland Drive along Sugarmont, and then head north to Monument Plaza and finally extend north on 1100 East to 1700 South to serve Westminster College. Both a technical analysis and community input were factored into this recommendation.

Also known as the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA), this plan draws the streetcar right into the heart of Sugar House and will further connect Westminster College as a community hub. Learn more about Phase 2.

Sugar House is coming back to life, thanks in part to the construction of the streetcar line, which helps spur local development and is a boon for the community.

Learn more

This is an exciting time for public transit in Salt Lake City. You can learn more about the Sugar House Streetcar project at SHStreetcar.com.

And if you are on Twitter, look for the #welove11th and #purplelineSLC hashtags to join the conversation!

Public Hearing

The Salt Lake City Council will be holding a public hearing on the future of the Sugar House Streetcar on Tuesday, April 23 at 7 p.m. If you cannot attend, you can still weigh in on the Open City Hall online forum.

New Clean Glass Recycling Facility Opens

Momentum

Today marked the opening of the a brand new clean glass recycling facility in Salt Lake City. The facility, operated by Momentum Recycling, will process glass waste from Salt Lake City and other cities in Utah and beyond.

“We are very excited to help Utah increase glass recycling,” says Justin Mills, Plant Manager at Momentum Recycling. “This facility is only the second of its kind in the US, and it results in very high quality cullet for our customers. This drives demand for more cullet, which in turn drives demand for post-consumer glass, and allows us to make glass recycling affordable for many cities and counties in Utah that have never had glass recycling.”

Salt Lake City’s partnership with Momentum Recycling has moved the city forward with glass recycling – a top priority for both Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker and the City Council.

In November 2012, curbside glass recycling service was offered to roughly half of Salt Lake City households. The pilot project was an instant success, with thousands of households participating in the program. As of April 2013, the curbside program has expanded to offer a service to all city residents. Residents who would like to register for the voluntary program can do so at www.SLCGreen.com.

In attendance at today’s event were Salt Lake City Councilperson Jill Remington Love, Dan Velasquez with Salt Lake City Economic Development, members of the community and the entire Momentum Recycling staff. Every inch of the facility was on display, and a photo gallery from the event can be viewed on the SLCGreen Facebook page.

Salt Lake City Green was thrilled to be there to help celebrate this important step towards a more sustainable community!

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