June Newsletter

After nearly 20 years working in sustainability, waste diversion, outreach, and program development, I’m excited to bring that experience to my new role as the Green Business Program Coordinator serving Park City and Summit County — and to the community I now call home.

My background includes work with municipalities, universities, and private companies focused on recycling, waste reduction, community engagement, and sustainability initiatives. Most recently, I supported recycling policy and program implementation efforts with Ridwell. Before that, I led the recycling department at the University of Washington, where one of my favorite projects was re-launching Trash-In, a campus-wide trash sort designed to better understand recycling misconceptions and contamination challenges.

Fun facts about me: outside of work, you’ll usually find me hiking, skiing, or learning to mountain bike. My husband Jeff and I also hiked the entire Continental Divide Trail together from Canada to Mexico, and I served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa. My French is rusty, but still surprisingly effective for ordering pastries.

To those of you I’ve already met, thank you for being so welcoming. To everyone else, I can’t wait to meet you and work together to continue growing this incredible program.

Emily Newcomer

Powering Your Business: Exploring Energy Strategies and Opportunities in Utah

Join us on Wednesday, August 12 at the Park City Chamber & Visitors Bureau from 12 pm to 1 pm to discover the role renewable energy can play as one of many strategies businesses can use to understand, reduce, and transform the energy used in their day-to-day operations. Join local experts as they discuss the different approaches businesses can take to meet their energy goals, explain the difference between renewable and clean energy, address common energy-related challenges, and highlight current and upcoming utility programs. Space may be limited so sign up today! REGISTER HERE.

Stay tuned for speakers! 

With warmer temperatures, dry conditions, and seasonal water restrictions already underway, now is a great time for your business to revisit simple ways to reduce water use and save on your water bill. The Green Business Program encourages businesses to educate employees on everyday water-saving habits such as reporting leaks, running dishwashers only when full, only serving water to guests upon request, adding biochar or compost to your landscape, and following the state’s weekly watering guide for irrigation. Small actions across your team can add up to meaningful water savings throughout the summer season, and help you earn points toward Green Business Certification. Plus, you may even be eligible for a rebate for taking action.

The new Zero Waste Event Resource Guide is designed specifically for events in our community and will help you improve recycling, divert food waste, and keep more material out of the landfill. 

Inside, you'll find practical tips on setting up  waste stations, creating clear signage, working with vendors, training volunteers, effective attendee communications, and tracking how much waste you actually divert.

Getting started may be easier than you think. Recycle Utah offers waste station bins for organizations to borrow, and the Green Business Program's Green Event certification provides hands-on support and recognition for event organizers. This summer, the Park City Chamber & Visitors Bureau is using these resources to help make the Oakley Rodeo BBQ one of its lowest-waste events yet.

Ready to create your own low-waste event? Read the guide and get started today.

The guide was developed through a collaboration between Deer Valley Resort, the Park City Chamber & Visitors Bureau, Summit County, Park City Municipal Corporation, Park City Community Foundation, and Recycle Utah.

Do you operate a business within Park City (84060) limits? The Park City Council has passed new rules about how businesses handle their waste, with the goal of recycling more, throwing away less, and making better use of materials across our community.

Learn more here, including upcoming information sessions: Park City's Waste Reduction Ordinance webpage. For questions, contact Celia Peterson.

Recycle Utah wants to hear from the community about what would be most useful and meaningful at its new facility. Your responses will be used to help shape the facility's design and future programs and services.  

Survey here!

A free reusable kit of 100 reusable plates, cups, forks, and napkins and 6 collection bins is now available for businesses, nonprofits, and community groups to borrow for meetings and small events.

Borrowing the kit means you won't need to buy disposable items, which saves money and cuts down on waste. Just return everything clean when you're done.

A special thanks to Race to Zero Waste for donating the kits for community use following this April’s Zero Waste Forum!

Reach out to Celia Peterson for additional information.

The inaugural Zero Waste Wasatch Back meeting, held at the end of May, brought together community members passionate about reducing waste and advancing local waste reduction solutions. Key topics discussed included reducing plastic consumption, expanding “Ask First” practices, and exploring initiatives that encourage reusing materials. The next meeting, focused on plastic reduction tips ahead of Plastic Free July, takes place Monday, June 22 at 6:30 p.m. at fulFILLed Lifestyle Co. Learn more here.

Every year, billions of single-use utensils and condiment packets are automatically added to takeout orders — even when customers don’t need them. By training employees to “Ask First,” local restaurants can cut costs, minimize plastic pollution, and earn points toward Green Business certification. If you are a restaurant that offers dine-in or takeout service and would like to learn more about implementing these waste and cost-reducing practices, or request bilingual customer-facing and employee signage, contact [email protected].