For Businesses

There are many ways local businesses can save energy, water, and materials. Saving resources quickly adds up to cost savings.

Here are 10 things you can do at work to decrease your environmental footprint:

To make progress on the goals of net-zero carbon and zero waste, Park City’s Sustainability departments has collaborated with Recycle Utah, Utah Clean Energy, and the Park City Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Bureau to bring new resources and recognition for business.

Summit 

The Green Business program was initiated in 2016 by Recycle Utah, and has since grown to over 100 members. With new partnerships, we bring new rigor, transparency and recognition to Green Business in Park City and beyond.

 Aligning for impact as a team is our pathway forward. We have created checklist with actions under five categories:

  • Energy Efficiency
  • Water Conservation
  • Sustainable Materials Management
  • Transportation
  • Thriving Community & Equity

The Green Business program now has three levels to represent our ski community and the snow we love.

  • Green Circle- One (1) action per category
  • Blue Square- Three (3) actions per category
  • Black Diamond- Six (6) actions per category

Step 1

Express your interest in the program. SIGN UP HERE. (no obligations, we will contact you within a few weeks if you haven’t proceeded to Step 3).

Step 2

Explore the program and how it works:

Step 3

Ready to get started? Let us know what you’ve already been up to; KICK-OFF HERE. We’ll be in touch soon to get started on your checklist.

Use this tool to understand your organizations biggest impacts on the environment. Once identified, make a plan on how your organization can minimize its impacts. Join the Green Business Program for more guidance.

In order to really know how well your workplace is running, perform an energy efficiency audit or hire a professional to come in and look at your office. After figuring out where improvements are needed, make a long term plan and stick to it. See here for resources. Whether you own the building or rent the space, you can make some big improvements. Look for the low hanging fruit first, like replacing light bulbs with LEDs, and installing timers or programmable thermostats.

If you don't already have a packaging reduction or waste management program in effect, start one today. Reducing your material use and waste diversion can help your business save money in the long run. See here for guidance.

The recycling programs available in the Park City area can handle almost any item that can be recycled. Contact Recycle Utah for more.

Take advantage of the free assistance and tools from the Green Business Program. 

Replace wasteful water fixtures in your office with more efficient ones. Look for low flow water fixtures, like sink faucets, toilets and even showers. Also look for ENERGY STAR clothes and dishwashers, which also help conserve water. Rebates can be found here.Save

Set the purchasing policies in your office to only buy environmentally friendly products. When buying products, look for items with minimal packaging and that are durable or easy to recycle. Choose only non-toxic cleaning products, low VOC paints and furniture, or items made from recycled or renewable materials. When purchasing paper products, look for FSC Certification.

Minimize or even eliminate paper use in your office. Pay bills online, download e-statements, save documents digitally and eliminate faxes and copies. The less paper you use, the better for the environment, and the less money you'll spend on paper, copy machines, printers, cartridges and mail.

When purchasing new equipment, electronics, heating and cooling systems, appliances or computers, look for the most energy efficient model you can find, which will be ENERGY STAR labeled.

Wherever possible, look to conserve energy by habitually turning off lights, computers, equipment and any other device when it is not needed. Or better yet, install motion sensors for lights in low-traffic areas.

Plug computers and other equipment into power strips and make sure they are off at the end of the day. Learn about Phantom Loads and how to keep them from sucking up power. Also make sure all computers in your office have the right power management settings to avoid wasting energy.

Help your employees or coworkers get motivated about alternative and electric transportation. If it is within the means of your company's budget, offer incentives, like prizes, cash bonuses, or matching funds for those employees who commute to work via foot, bike, carpools, public transportation or even fuel efficient vehicle. Encourage the use of the FREE Park City Bus System, rideshare programs and the extensive trail system.

And finally, support other locally owned businesses in the area. By supporting local businesses, we can help pump or own economy back up and support each other. Look into buying office supplies, catered lunches, promotional materials, advertising, and more through local companies. Buy Local and help support our Park City community.