This weekend, everyone is invited to raise a toast to Park City’s tireless recycling advocates. Without them, we’d be building more landfills instead of parks and our planet’s ozone layer would be even thinner. And what better way to support their efforts to ensure our empty wine and beer bottles are properly disposed of than to empty a few more?
This Friday, Recycle Utah will host its fifth annual Uncorked Concert from 5 to 7 p.m. at the recycling center located at 1951 Woodbine Way. Proceeds from the $7 entry fee, food and beverages will go toward the center’s glass collection program.
Unfortunately, the return rate for glass does not pay for itself, which is why the county’s trash collector, Republic Services, does not include glass in its curbside recycling pickup. Residents can put most plastics (excluding plastic bags), aluminum and tin cans, newspapers, junk mail and cardboard in their county recycling bins, but when it comes to glass, they would be on their own if not for Recycle Utah.
And residents have embraced the program so much so that the glass unloading area on Woodbine Way is usually packed with people sorting bottles and recapping the weekend’s picnics and parties.
To help alleviate the crush, recycle Utah now maintains several remote bins, located at 5053 Kilby Road, the Jeremy Ranch park and ride lot, 6125 Silver Creek Drive and Willow Creek Park.
But, maintaining the bins and transporting all of the glass to the appropriate processing plants costs money, which is why Recycle Utah is asking for your help.
The Uncorked event will be fun, affordable and down to earth, featuring music by Motherlode Canyon Band , local brews, foods and ice cream.
Saturday, Recycle Utah will move the festivities to Oakley, where it plans to host a slightly more upscale event centered around a localvore theme. The centerpiece is a five-course dinner comprised of food raised and harvested within a 100-mile radius. The intent is to underscore the many benefits of sourcing ingredients as close to where they will be consumed as possible, lowering transportation costs leaving a smaller carbon footprint.
The 100-Mile Meal takes place Saturday beginning at 6 p.m. Tickets are $200 per person.
Recycle Utah has come a long way from its Garbage Guru roots when it operated on the site of an old railroad spur, but it still faces an uphill battle. Plan to pitch in by joining the festivities this weekend and by recycling year round.
For more information, go to recycleutah.org