Physical junk mail may not be as common today as it was 10 years ago, but most of us still receive plenty of unwanted mail in the form of magazines, pamphlets, catalogs and unnecessary letters.

Stopping these communications from getting delivered is a great way to help reduce paper waste, lower emissions, and save natural resources.

Here are some tips for how to reduce the amount of junk mail you receive:

Sign up for paperless options with your typical mailers. Banks, insurance companies, utility providers and healthcare organizations are often required to send physical notices unless you opt out.

Most of the time, the letters these companies send will include a website where you can sign up for paperless communications. If you don’t see a website listed, try making a quick search of the company name plus “go paperless” to find the right page.

You can also register for a few different broader opt-out services for paper mailers. Optoutprescreen.com is a free, credit bureau-run site that allows you to remove your name from all lists used for credit and insurance offers. It requires you to verify your identity and mailing address before opting out. If you receive a lot of credit offers via mail, it can significantly reduce the amount you receive.

Another example of opt-out services is DMAchoice.org. DMA choice is an accredited company which, for a small fee, will remove you from many promotional mailing lists and keep you off them for a set period of time. The general fee for this service is $8 for 10 years, with other subscription options available.

Alternatively, for catalogs and subscription mail you no longer want, look for a customer service number or website on the mailing label and request removal directly via email or phone. Companies are required by law to remove you from mailing lists if requests are legitimately submitted.

Once you have signed up for these paperless options, don’t forget to recycle any unwanted mail you do receive! Most paper mailers, including magazines, envelopes, pamphlets, etc can be recycled curbside.

For paper products that require shredding, stop by Recycle Utah to use our shredding service and recycle your shredded paper!

Recycle Utah, your community non-profit drop-off recycling center, provides these weekly tips. Visit their website for more information: www.recycleutah.org.

The post Green Tips: How to reduce junk mail appeared first on Park Record.

Summit County curbside recycling is transported to Waste Management, a large Materials Recovery Facility in Salt Lake City. Recycle Utah staff and volunteers were able to take a tour of Waste Management and ask a few of our burning recycling questions.

As always, curbside recycling guidelines vary from county to county and are subject to change. Please check local recycling guidelines for the most up-to-date information. 

Can I put my recycling in a trash bag? 

No. The best way to ensure your materials are recycled is to place them loosely in the bin. If recyclables are bagged, they are assumed to be trash when they reach the facility. If you line your indoor recycling bin with a trash bag, please dump recyclables straight into the curbside bin without the plastic liner. 

Do my materials have to be washed prior to recycling? 

Plastics in your curbside recycling need to be free of any major food or liquid residue prior to going in your recycling bin. However, they do not need to be 100% clean before recycling. Sorted materials are cleaned as part of the recycling process. Just make sure that your materials are empty; most materials are sorted at the facility using optical (AI) sorters, so as long as the material has a similar weight to what it would weigh empty, it will be identified as the correct material. For example, just scoop out all the peanut butter or yogurt from the container, or pour out liquids from bottles before putting them in the bin.

Does curbside recycling actually get recycled? 

Yes! Waste Management can recycle over 90% of materials that arrive at its facility. Recycling is about saying yes, not no. As technologies advance and sorting becomes increasingly automated, more and more materials can be recycled curbside. Materials sorted at the facility are connected to their end source recycler, primarily domestically, where they are processed back into packaging and other recycled products.

For more information about curbside recycling, please visit wm.com/recycle-right. For a full tour of Waste Management, filmed by Recycle Utah, check out @RecycleUtah on YouTube. 

Recycle Utah, your community nonprofit drop-off recycling center, provides these weekly tips. Visit its website for more information — recycleutah.org.

The post Green Tips: Curbside recycling behind the scenes appeared first on Park Record.

Living in Utah, the second driest state, means that we think a lot about water conservation.

Responsibly managing our water use is essential to the longevity of the Wasatch Back, which nearly 90,000 people call home. Common water uses include agriculture, lawns, and industrial and commercial users, but what are some of the hidden water uses we see in our daily lives?

Almost every product we purchase requires water in its production, some far more than others.

For example, the average pair of jeans requires between 3,000 and 4,000 liters of water to make, as reported by the UN Environmental Programme. For the example of jeans, this water is typically consumed during the growing of the cotton for the jeans.

We do not see or inherently think about water being a requirement for our jeans — or our burgers — but any time we grow a product (or raise an animal), we see significant water consumption going into the earliest stages of production.

Some plants or animals require significantly less water than others, which is why we see products emerging made of less water-intensive crops, such as bamboo.

We also see significant hidden water use in many of our electronics and other products, which require specialized metals.

The average smartphone in 2025 requires roughly 12,000 to 13,000 liters of water throughout its production. This water is primarily consumed through the mining of raw materials, where ore is rinsed extensively throughout the production process. This produces wastewater, which can be highly toxic and dangerous to the natural environment, and must be diluted or cleaned before being returned to the water stream.

Sometimes the water used for mining is graywater to begin with, being diverted from local residential wastewater streams, which allows for a less energy-intensive process.

These are just some of the examples of ways our water footprint can grow significantly behind closed doors.

In general, whenever you are purchasing something made of a virgin material (especially a rare metal), you can be certain it came with a high water tax. Purchasing second hand is one of the best ways to lower your water tax, as well as your general carbon and environmental footprint. T

he website watercalculator.org provides a great tool to calculate your personal water footprint, as well as some recommendations on how to cut down on superficial and hidden water use.

Recycle Utah, your community non-profit drop-off recycling center, provides these weekly tips. Visit their website for more information – www.recycleutah.org.

The post Green Tips: Hidden water use appeared first on Park Record.

Recycle Utah recently toured the WM Salt Lake Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), where we learned about updated rules for curbside recycling. WM’s MRF and transfer station in West Valley City accepts both curbside and commercial recycling for sorting and distribution, including Summit County’s curbside recycling.

The 50,000 square foot MRF and transfer station has been in operation since 2020 and is full of state-of-the-art recycling technology. Through the use of optical and AI sorters, WM can process around 450 tons of material every day, equivalent to the weight of about 50 orcas. 

Material travels through many steps as it moves through the facility. First, trucks drop all the recycling on the tipping floor to be dumped onto the conveyor belt system. Next, employees pull large non-recyclables or hazardous materials off the conveyor belt to avoid damage to the system. Employees primarily remove bagged material and large contaminants that could get twisted in the conveyor belts.

The material passes over 3.5 miles of conveyor belts and sorting equipment. Aluminum cans are pulled off the conveyor by an ‘eddy current’, which works as a sort of reverse magnet. Steel cans and ferrous metal are pulled off the conveyor with a magnet. Paper, plastic, and cardboard are sorted using AI optical sorters. These machines use optical cameras to sense density and material on the conveyor. They can “see” whatever density they are programmed to look for, and use air jets to shoot the material off the main belt and into a separate line. Optical sorters are programmed to pick about 600 different materials per minute, meaning they identify and sort around 10 items a second. After each material is sorted into its unique bay, it is baled and stored until it is ready to be shipped to recyclers around the country.  

The efficiency and scale of the recycling process at WM is incredible. Tours are available for the general public, as well as offered through Recycle Utah’s adult education program.

For more information on the recycling process, please visit wm.com/us/en/recycle-right/recycling-101. Also, check out Recycle Utah’s YouTube channel for a more in-depth look at the MRF, a video tour and answers to some recycling FAQ’s! 

Recycle Utah, your community non-profit drop-off recycling center, provides these weekly tips. Visit their website for more information — www.recycleutah.org.

The post Green Tips: Where does my curbside recycling go? appeared first on Park Record.

Emissions from travel can be some of our biggest carbon footprints. Sometimes, when traveling internationally or long distances, we have to fly. However, it’s worthwhile to compare driving and flying and how to reduce our emissions.

First, let’s look at shorter local flights and consider the increasingly fuel-efficient planes used today. Take the average flight from SLC to LAX, about 600 miles. The Airbus A220, a more fuel-efficient plane, would emit about 300 kg of CO2 per passenger one-way.

Driving a mid-range gas car this distance would produce around 219 kg of CO2 total for the car, meaning that as you add more passengers, the per-person CO2 cost would significantly decrease. Getting to LA from Salt Lake City in a car with two passengers would produce about 109 kg of CO2 per person, versus 300 kg per person on a plane.

Now, let’s look at a longer flight. To fly from SLC to Honolulu — about 3,000 miles — you would be on a larger plane, such as an Airbus A330, which can hold about 250 people. The average CO2 emissions for a flight from SLC to HNL are 1.1 tons of CO2/passenger. If you were to drive this same distance in an average mid-size gasoline car, you would emit about 1 ton of CO2 total for the trip. While not necessarily realistic, this calculation does tell us that it is still more fuel-efficient to drive long distances than fly. 

In basically every scenario, driving a moderately fuel-efficient car is more environmentally friendly than flying, though the efficiency of flying increases the further you go.

Driving, especially carpooling, is usually the more environmentally friendly option. When thinking about air travel, it’s important that we understand the scope of our impact.

The website myclimate.org offers a helpful carbon emissions calculator for air and ground travel, which was used for the calculations of this article, and may help you understand your carbon footprint from travel.

Recycle Utah, your community non-profit drop-off recycling center, provides these weekly tips. Visit their website for more information – www.recycleutah.org.

The post Green Tips: Driving or flying? appeared first on Park Record.

Bitcoin trading has become increasingly popular in the past 10 years. Today, one Bitcoin is worth about $87,000, and the global cryptocurrency industry’s worth is estimated at around $2.6 trillion.

Bitcoin operates as a digitally “mined” currency. Rather than gold being pulled from the Earth and valued based on its rarity, bitcoins are “mined” by servers from blocks (long sequential number chains), which equate to a complex mathematical equation. Bitcoin “miners” are then tasked with solving these block equations in order to earn bitcoins.

Mining one bitcoin consumes approximately 155,000 kWh of energy. Comparatively, the average U.S. household consumes approximately 900 kWh of electricity in one month.

Recent research done on the effects of bitcoin mining on air quality found that 34 Bitcoin mines used about 33% more electricity in a day than the city of Los Angeles. Similar to how AI data centers work, Bitcoin servers require high energy input to run and large amounts of water to cool computers and data centers.

The energy demand from these data centers is so great that it is currently difficult to run them without fossil fuels. The use of renewables is increasing within the industry. However, fossil fuels are still heavily used to supplement energy usage:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58287-3

Mining for gold can also be a very environmentally taxing endeavor. Pulling gold and other precious metals from the Earth consumes significant amounts of energy in different ways and presents several more ethical concerns, such as fair labor and trade issues.

The gold and cryptocurrency industries are estimated to each produce around 100 million tons of CO2 in a year (based on research done in 2023). However, the gold industry is worth vastly more than cryptocurrency, being valued at around 14 trillion. Additionally, gold is less variable a currency, meaning that in general its value holds steadier than we have seen from cryptocurrency.

When executed sustainably, bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies do present positive environmental opportunities as alternatives to precious metal mining. But sustainable mining practices are developing faster than sustainable data and server technologies. Until we can switch to reliable and consistent renewable energy sources for our quickly evolving tech needs, we are faced with a world that is becoming more and more reliant on fossil fuels and uses more energy each passing year.

Bitcoin and AI data centers are at the forefront of discussions on regulations for companies producing large amounts of pollution or consuming large amounts of resources. Ensuring that these companies are held accountable and that resource use is regulated is the most promising path forward for the future of cryptocurrency. 

Recycle Utah, your community non-profit drop-off recycling center, provides these weekly tips. Visit their website for more information — www.recycleutah.org.

Editor’s note: This column was clarified and a typo in average household energy use corrected.

The post Green Tips: Bitcoin mining requires a lot of energy appeared first on Park Record.

The holiday season is one of the busiest times of year for us at Recycle Utah. Dropoffs reach an all-time high after Christmas, as people unload the remains of presents: boxes, wrapping paper, bows and bags!

Recycling is a great way to dispose of the remains of the holiday season sustainably, but the three R’s of waste management are ordered this way for a reason: first reduce, then reuse, and finally recycle. Come by after all your holiday activities this year to drop off packaging, food waste or any other items we accept. But first, here are some sustainable holiday tips to keep in mind so you produce less waste this year.

Reduce. Be mindful of what you buy! One thoughtful present goes further than 10 unwanted ones. When purchasing gifts or stocking stuffers, look for items friends or family will use, value and appreciate for a long time.

Consider making gifts yourself rather than buying them. Every year, I make every member of my family a hand-knit gift. What started as a badly knitted hat has turned into one of my favorite traditions of the holiday season. When thinking about what your friends and family might want, think about whether it is feasible for you to make that present yourself — you might find that more often than not, you are the very capable crafter of their dream gift! 

Reuse. Consider how you wrap your gifts. Americans produce about 25% more waste during the holidays, most of which comes from wrapping materials or cards. This year, think about getting creative with wrapping materials. A brown paper bag or newspaper works great as wrapping paper, and you can decorate it yourself to add a personal touch. Scarves, old blankets or dish towels can also work great, and when you’re done, they can go right back to their original use.

Save used wrapping materials for next year. It’s easy to unwrap presents without destroying wrapping paper. Collect materials that don’t need to be discarded and keep them. They could come in handy for birthdays and anniversaries.

There are lots of ways to be more environmentally considerate this holiday season! Get creative, and think about the hierarchy of the three R’s: Reduce, Reuse and then Recycle! After you’ve reduced and reused this holiday season, come stop by Recycle Utah. We’re always here when you get to that last R! 

Recycle Utah, your community non-profit drop-off recycling center, provides these weekly tips. Visit their website for more information — www.recycleutah.org.

The post Green Tips: Reducing holiday waste appeared first on Park Record.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, online video streaming for work has become increasingly popular. Since the conclusion of the pandemic, the popularity of Zoom and video conferences has continued steadily on, bringing with it the bonus of carbon reductions for travel to meetings.

While Zoom meetings do typically mean less carbon emissions from people driving or flying to meet with coworkers, video conferencing is not completely free of carbon cost.

A 2021 study by Purdue University found that one hour of video conferencing produced anywhere from 150-1,000 grams of CO2 per hour. In comparison, the average mid-size car burns about 400-500 grams of CO2 per mile of driving.

Conservatively calculated, this means that if you drive more than five miles for an in-person meeting, it’s typically more beneficial to participate in a Zoom call. While these numbers indicate that it is still most environmentally friendly to participate in Zoom meetings for conferences that require travel, they do indicate that the carbon and energy savings from unnecessary Zoom meetings leave something to consider.

This same study found that turning off your camera during conference meetings could reduce the energy consumption of the call by up to 96%. “Turning off your camera” requires no special action when setting up the Zoom call. The energy consumption rates will decrease according to how many participants have their cameras turned off. If all participants have their cameras off, the call will stream via audio only — similar to a phone call — putting less strain on data centers.

Researchers also estimated that streaming in regular definition, rather than high definition, reduced energy consumption by up to 85%. This estimation holds true not only for video streaming from Zoom, but also Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, and all other forms of active video streaming. 

In addition to energy consumption, streaming services also consume a significant amount of water. The data centers that process streaming services use water to cool processing rooms. Increased strain on these data centers means more heat generation, and thus more water required for the cooling process.

If possible, turning off your camera during meetings and encouraging co-workers to do the same is a great way to reduce your personal and professional ecological footprint!

Recycle Utah, your community non-profit drop-off recycling center, provides these weekly tips. Visit their website for more information: www.recycleutah.org.

The post Green Tips: Zoom consumes energy; here’s how to cut back appeared first on Park Record.

In the United States, an estimated 66% of people own a cat and/or dog. Pets can have a huge carbon output and impact on their environment, and as sustainable pet ownership becomes easier with the introduction of new practices and products, it becomes easier than ever to ensure our furry friends put as little strain on the earth as possible.

Cat and dog food accounts for approximately 25%-30% of the meat industry in the US alone. While some pet food utilizes meat byproducts that would not be otherwise consumed, a substantial amount of livestock is raised and processed for pet food alone. Two major organizations–Aquaculture Stewardship Council and Marine Stewardship Council–have provided certifications for pet food to ensure that all meat used for the food was ethically and sustainably sourced. Additionally, insect proteins are on the rise for pet foods, which provides an extremely low-carbon cost protein source. Look out for organic, wild-caught, or sustainably-sourced meat options when shopping for your pet food!

Pet waste also has a significant impact on the environment; dog waste is high in bacteria and viruses, which can contaminate waterways and infect humans and wildlife. Picking up after your dog is a critical way to ensure that your pet doesn’t contaminate any drinking or stream water. Additionally, when selecting dog waste bags, non-plastic or decomposable options mean less space taken up in the landfill by harmful plastics that will never break down. When it comes to cats, naturally derived litter, such as walnut or paper litter, is environmentally preferable to clay litter, which will not break down in the landfill and can leach toxic chemicals.

There are lots of unique ways to ensure you are sustainably caring for your pet. Doing research and ensuring products are ethically and sustainably sourced is always a great first step to ensuring you are making the cleanest and greenest decisions possible!

Recycle Utah, your community non-profit drop-off recycling center, provides these weekly tips. Visit their website for more information: www.recycleutah.org.

The post Green Tips: Eco-friendly pet parenting appeared first on Park Record.

Common beauty and hygiene products such as toothpaste, deodorant and shampoo are common waste producers in our daily lives.

These products typically come in plastic packaging, which is often either exceptionally hard to recycle or recyclable at all. When purchasing hygiene products, look out for non-plastic or easily recyclable options to reduce waste — newer companies are offering non-plastic alternatives. Read on for suggestions to reduce plastic consumption and waste in your home: 

Toothpaste: Traditional toothpaste tubes are hard to recycle; the average family uses 24 tubes of toothpaste a year! Luckily, there are several great options available locally to make the switch. Toothpaste tabs or powder are an increasingly common product, available at grocery stores such as Harmons, Whole Foods, or fulFILLed in the Outlets. These tabs and powders are sold in glass, metal, or paper packaging.

Deodorant: About 3.2 billion deodorant containers are thrown in the trash each year! These containers are typically made of specially shaped, heat-resistant plastic and, therefore, are not recyclable in curbside recycling. Recently, however, cardboard containers are emerging to replace plastic — a better option for recycling or even landfill. Or, try a crystal deodorant that will last longer. 

Shampoo/Conditioner: Traditional shampoo and conditioner come in plastic containers that are recyclable in curbside recycling. Traditional shampoo and conditioner are up to 85% water, therefore requiring waterproof plastic containers. Check out shampoo and conditioner bars: hard soap bars which can be used when wet as shampoo and conditioner! These bars typically cost between $7 and $20 but can last two to three times as long as liquid shampoo (meaning they can also be the more cost-effective option). Shampoo and conditioner bars are typically wrapped in paper or cardboard boxes, both of which can be recycled, resulting in a zero-waste and plastic-free product!

Recycle Utah, your community non-profit drop-off recycling center, provides these weekly tips. Visit their website for more information – www.recycleutah.org.

The post Green Tips: Green hygiene appeared first on Park Record.