Green Tips: Learning from our green businesses
By Bev Harrison
In 2016, Recycle Utah initiated the Green Business Program, providing free support to companies that are committed to undertaking specific sustainable operations actions. In 2022, they partnered with Park City Municipal, Summit County and the Park City Chamber of Commerce, enabling the program to become more rigorous with additional requirements, resources, and recognition for members.
Currently, 51 businesses participate, and each has selected actions to undertake from five categories: energy efficiency, water conservation, materials management, transportation and social equity. Depending on the number of actions businesses commit to, they move within the program from entry-level green circle, to intermediate blue square to the most-aggressive black diamond level.
At January’s Green Drinks annual awards event, winning green businesses were recognized for their commitment and success in operating more sustainably. We can learn from their actions.
Park City Mountain Resort, performing at the highest black diamond level, is the 2023 Green Business of the Year. Perhaps the most noticeable of their sustainability initiatives is their waste diversion operation. Restaurant guests take their food trays to sorting stations, and staff sort it into compostables, recyclables, soft plastic wraps and snack wrappers. This system keeps contamination from improper sorting to a minimum. There are trash, recycling and snack wrapper cans for guests to use outside. Last year, Park City Mountain diverted a whopping 546 tons of waste from the landfill with 185 tons of it being food waste! To work, it takes our cooperation.
Abode Luxury Rentals won the Zest for Zero award, which recognizes a company that has made fast progress entering the program. As they have done in their properties, their eco-friendly suggestions include reducing their heat to 55 degrees in unoccupied homes, eliminating bottled water and liquid soap pump bottles, using timed-aerated faucets, using dissolvable laundry-detergent sheets, following local no-idling regulations, providing guests recycling bins and recycling guidelines and utilizing transit schedules and maps.
FulFILLed Lifestyle Co., another highest-level performer, won the People’s Choice Award. It is a zero-waste and refill store located at the Outlets Park City. Their suggestions? Eliminate packaging by buying eco-friendly personal care and house cleaning products in containers you reuse and refill, and skip taking bags for your purchases.
Recycle Utah, your community non-profit drop-off recycling center, provides these weekly tips. Visit their website for more information — http://www.recycleutah.org.
Ridgelines: It’s hard to say goodbye
The early morning sun rising over the High Uintas cast shadows onto the rock-hard corduroy. A feeling of joy came over me as I set an edge in the snow, linking arcs down the frozen mountainside. It’s springtime in the Wasatch!
Barnes & Noble plans to open first Wasatch Back location in Kimball Junction
“We’re always striving to expand and/or establish bookselling communities, especially in areas where they may be lacking,” said Braeden Boyle, associate manager of communications. “As we were not currently represented in this market, we had already been on the lookout for the right space in Park City, and were thrilled when we finally found a fit. The more bookstores, the better.”
Support Local Journalism
Support Local Journalism
Readers around Park City and Summit County make the Park Record's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.
Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.
Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.