Momentum Recycling: CLC DIY Engineer

The season of summer is beloved for the vibrancy, warmth and fruitfulness of our surroundings. On Aug. 9–11, Salt Lake City will celebrate summertime, along with the best of our state’s DIY engineers, craft foodies, performers and craftspeople at the 11th Annual Craft Lake City DIY Festival Presented By Harmons at the Utah State Fairpark. Every year, Craft Lake City commemorates the best of Utah’s creators, this year being CLC’s first at the Utah State Fairpark—there is much to celebrate! Visit craftlakecity.com to learn more about the 11th DIY Festival.

Since 2008, Momentum Recycling (utah.momentumrecycling.com) has single-handedly served the Wasatch Front with affordable, easy, “no worry” glass-recycling services. They’ve grown considerably since their first curb-side glass haul, and Craft Lake City is honored to have Momentum Recycling participate as a Google Fiber STEM member in the 11th Annual DIY Festival this month.

Prior to 2008, Salt Lake County residents had to take their used glass to designated bins around the valley to get recycled. Though many Utahns are environmentally friendly and pro-Earth, having to store and haul glass hamstrung people’s recycling efforts. “Momentum Recycling was simply started to satisfy a need,” says Jason Utgaard, General Manager of the company. Momentum’s initial glass-haul mission has since become a state-of-the-art glass-recycling warehouse with advanced crushing-and-sorting machines, 25 drivers, managing office personnel and a handful of municipal contracts that extend throughout Utah and into parts of Nevada and Idaho.

“Our goal is zero waste,” says Utgaard. “With constant advancements in technology, we can become more efficient and more sustainable.” This is exactly why CLC decided to invite Momentum Recycling into Google Fiber’s STEM Building at the Festival. Surprisingly, there are a few myths surrounding glass recycling—that glass is sent to China or crushed glass is unusable, for instance. For the last 25 years, China has only accepted plastics, as glass is too heavy to ship overseas. Crushed glass sustains the recycling cycle, so Momentum takes crushed and broken glass from any tax-paying citizen.

“Glass is the most eco-friendly product a person can use. It’s easy to recycle, it’s safe to recycle, and a lot of industries use recycled glass byproducts, like fiberglass,” says Utgaard.

At the festival, Momentum facilitates “recycled glass art,” says Utgaard. For more detailed information on glass recycling in Utah, visit Momentum Recycling in the STEM Building at the DIY Festival. –Lauren Ashley

More on SLUGMag.com:

Momentum Recycling: Making Up for Lost Glass
Utah Recycling Alliance: 4th Annual Zero Waste Awards