In 2008 Momentum Recycling was founded with the goal of helping communities move towards zero waste. While this may seem like a daunting goal, we believe that together, by taking small but important steps, we can make great progress. Momentum Recycling is a full-service zero waste company offering comprehensive recycling collection services to organizations and residences along the Wasatch Front.
LOCATION: 658 South 4050 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84104
OUR FOUR OBJECTIVES
COLLECTIONS
Momentum provides collection services for glass, mixed recyclables, and food waste (including animal products), and we deliver materials to responsible material recovery facilities or end users across Utah. To complement our collection services, Momentum Recycling maximizes recycling efforts by identifying the recyclable materials in clients’ waste streams through comprehensive waste audits. We then design low-impact and intuitive systems for capturing these recyclables and offer consulting on purchasing and material use practices. This results in more materials being diverted from the landfill to recycling destinations.
GLASS PROCESSING
Momentum Recycling expanded its operations in 2012 to include processing and recycling of post-consumer glass. The company’s state-of-the-art glass processing facility makes glass recycling easier, maximizes the diversion of glass from the landfill, and ensures that glass is recycled into high-quality end products. In July 2012, Momentum Recycling became the exclusive glass recycler for Salt Lake City. This includes operating the first curbside glass collections program in Utah, and the processing of all glass collected through the city’s various programs.
EDUCATION
Momentum Recycling helps clients educate employees, clients, residents, and guests about what can be recycled, how to recycle and why recycling is important. All clients receive unique monthly diversion rate reports. These reports deliver monthly weight and volume estimates for the materials collected at the client’s location, as well as feedback on contamination and recommendations for changes to service. From clear and effective signage on bins, to newsletters, to short informational sessions in the workplace, Momentum uses a wide array of tools to educate clients on recycling issues. Lastly, Momentum sets aside $1 for every ton of glass collected in Salt Lake City to public education and outreach.
RECOGNITION
Momentum Recycling promotes clients’ recycling efforts in the greater community through our social media channels, highlighting their hard work and leadership in recycling. Momentum also provides free signage for clients to post at their locations conveying their waste diversion efforts.
Carbon Pricing Principles
Momentum Recycling was founded on the belief that each of us has the power to make choices that positively impact our environment. Choices related to how we produce, consume and dispose of commodities strongly influence the health of our environment. In fact, forty-two percent of greenhouse gas emissions come from activities associated the production, consumption and disposal of commodities and food (EPA 2009). Recycling is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to slow climate change, and pursuing zero waste is part of that solution. By managing waste sustainably, businesses can be part of the solution to slowing climate change. However, climate change can’t be addressed by recycling and waste reduction alone – we need to adopt a nation-wide, economy wide, market-based solution to address the causes of climate change.
Momentum Recycling endorses the Carbon Pricing Principles as a model for this solution. These principles are shared by Business Climate Leaders, the American Sustainable Business Council, Ceres’ Business for Innovation and Clean Energy Policy, Partnership for Responsible Growth, Corporate Climate Alliance, and others, as a values-based way to understand key issues of carbon pricing, as well as a starting point for comparing specific policy proposals.
The Principles
Climate change is real and presents significant risks to economic growth and prosperity. A transparent price on emissions incentivizes low carbon consumer and business choices, accelerates the commercialization of low-carbon technologies — and is the most efficient way to fight climate change.
We urge Congress to pass and the President to sign legislation that prices carbon consistent with the following principles. Any such legislation should:
- Help the U.S. to achieve its 2025 greenhouse gas reduction goals and put U.S. emissions on a path to help keep global temperature increases well below 2 degrees Celsius.
- Establish an economy-wide system to price carbon emissions.
- Increase the competitiveness of U.S. businesses globally.
- Provide a price signal strong enough to reduce the need for future regulation of carbon emissions while preserving the EPA’s present Clean Air Act regulatory authority.
- Provide flexibility to use complementary policies to reinforce effect of carbon pricing
- Preserve all families’ access to reliable, affordable energy.
- Ensure a just transition for affected workers, families, and communities.
- Incentivize comparable action by other nations.