Park City has been named a winner in the Green Destinations Top 100 Story Awards 2025, which recognizes the city’s Mountainback campaign.

Launched last year, the campaign encourages visitors and local businesses to adopt sustainable practices that help preserve the local mountains.

In response, companies across Park City have committed to reducing their environmental impact. Currently, Summit County manages to keep about 12% of its waste out of landfills through recycling and composting, thanks in part to the efforts of local businesses. Many are now recycling everyday materials, while others have gone completely zero-waste to eliminate single-use plastics altogether.

Although the issue of electronic waste is a growing concern, businesses can take simple steps to tackle it and further boost sustainability.  

Zero waste

Over 100 businesses across Summit County, including Park City, now belong to Recycle Utah’s Green Business Program, which works with companies to help them adopt sustainable and zero-waste practices.

One notable example is fulFILLED Lifestyle Co., a local zero-waste and refill store that not only handles its own waste responsibly, but also helps locals cut down on single-use plastics. For instance, customers can bring or reuse containers for toiletries and household products and fill them up in-store. The business has also received funding from Sustainable Tourism grants to help local hotels and vacation rentals, such as Abode Luxury Rentals, switch from single-use to refillable toiletries. 

At Abode’s Black Bear Lodge in Park City, a change was made last year to use refillable toiletries instead of single-use products in 75 bathrooms. This simple switch saves around 15,000 plastic bottles from ending up in landfills every year.

To build on this effort, Abode is part of the “Clean the World” program, which collects and donates gently-used toiletries to communities where basic sanitation is a challenge. Guests at all Abode properties are also encouraged to recycle, with bins and guidelines provided to help them do their part. 

Electronics recycling

Park City businesses have made progress in sustainability, but there’s still more work to be done. Plastics, paper and cardboard are where most of the focus on recycling usually goes, and for good reason.

But this often leaves one key area overlooked: electronics waste — old phones, printers, laptops, and other such devices. When it’s dumped in landfills, e-waste releases toxic heavy metals and chemicals that pollute the environment and harm human and animal health. On top of this, e-waste is generated at a rate five times faster than it can be recycled, which means it’s an issue that can no longer be ignored. 

Utah creates its fair share of electronics waste, with over 1 million pounds collected in 2023 alone. For many businesses, laptops are a major source of this, due to their relatively short lifespan.

The good news is that companies can now adopt a more sustainable approach to laptop management, which includes responsible disposal of old devices, either by recycling or reusing them when possible. This ultimately reduces the amount of e-waste in landfills.

Additionally, businesses can also take their old electronics at Recycle Utah’s drop-off center. They accept a wide range of devices, from computers and printers to TVs, and even video equipment. They do charge a fee, though, of between $5-$25 per item. 

Mobile recycling

Fortunately, Good Earth’s mobile drop-off service has made it quick and easy for downtown businesses in Historic Park City to recycle their waste. Any merchant in Park City’s Business Improvement District can use the service, and they accept common recyclables, including paper, glass, plastic, cardboard, and aluminum.

Since Good Earth brings a recycling service straight to downtown businesses, this takes much of the hassle out of recycling. Local businesses and restaurants no longer have to worry about where to store recyclables or how to have them hauled away. This makes it easier for them to reduce waste and remain sustainable. 

Park City businesses are serious about sustainability. From recycling initiatives to zero-waste programs that cut single-use plastics, companies have successfully made changes to support a cleaner, healthier city, and they show no signs of slowing down. 

Briana Hilton spent almost 10 years working in city planning for Salt Lake City Corp. before returning to Park City and starting a family. She has since rediscovered her first love of writing and enjoys contributing to a variety of online and print publications.

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