Recycle Utah

What Recycle Utah does

Recycle Utah is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (Tax ID 87-0480848) founded on August 7, 1990, that operates the primary recycling and environmental education infrastructure for Park City and Summit County, Utah. Its core service is a physical recycling center at 1951 Woodbine Way in Park City that accepts 45+ categories of materials — including plastics, metals, electronics, household hazardous waste, and specialty items (via partners such as TerraCycle) — and serves over 400 vehicles daily with staff-assisted drop-off. The organization also runs a 5,000 sq ft Warehouse/Thrift Store for reselling donated used items, remote glass recycling bins, paper-shredding, composting, medicine and used-cooking-oil disposal, car donation processing through Tear-A-Part Auto, and a CSA pickup site. Diversion volume is approximately 4 million pounds of material annually from the landfill.

The business model is community-supported rather than commercial. Annual operating costs exceed $750,000, funded by approximately $420,000 in community donations and fundraising events, $185,000 in government and foundation grants (Summit County, Park City Municipal, Park City Community Foundation, USDA), $90,000 in thrift store sales, and $55,000 in recyclable commodity sales. Supplemental programming includes K-8 environmental education, a Green Business Program (30+ members, since transferred under Summit County governance), the Zero Waste Wasatch Back initiative, internships, and events such as Green Drinks and the Pick Up Park City community cleanup series. The organization employs 11–50 staff under Executive Director Andy Hecht (appointed November 2025, succeeding interim GM Jim Bedell and former ED Carolyn Wawra). There is no proprietary technology stack; operations rely on physical material processing, community volunteers, and standard digital channels (WordPress website, Facebook, Instagram, X).

Name

Recycle Utah

Legal name

Recycle Utah

Website

https://recycleutah.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Recycle Utah is a Park City-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating the primary recycling center and environmental education programs for Summit County, Utah, diverting nearly 4 million pounds of material annually and serving 400+ vehicles daily through drop-off, thrift sales, and community programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Recycling and Environmental Services

NAICS

Solid Waste Collection (562111), Materials Recovery Facilities (562920), Waste Collection (5621)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Materials Recovery (Carpet, Mattresses, Bulky Items) (EUAIADAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Eco-Friendly Disposal, Recycling & Donation Hauling (HSAIAOAJ), Consumer E-waste Collection & Take-Back Programs (EUAIAIAA), Donation Pickup & Reuse Hauling (HSAKALAI)

Keywords

• Community recycling services
• Household hazardous waste
• Environmental education programs
• Thrift store resale
• Composting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Park City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Community donations and fundraising events form the backbone of financial sustainability, generating approximately $420,000 annually from individual donors and fundraising activities.
2. Government and Foundation Grants: Annual grants from local governments and foundations provide approximately $185,000 in funding support.
3. Warehouse/Thrift Store Sales: Sale of reused items through the Warehouse thrift store contributed approximately $90,000 in 2023.
4. Recyclable Materials Sales: Revenue from selling collected recyclable materials generated approximately $55,000 in 2023, though shipping costs often exceed revenue for certain materials like glass.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Recycle Utah operates a physical recycling center in Park City, Utah that accepts 45+ types of materials for drop-off, complemented by a 5,000 sq ft Warehouse thrift store reselling donated used items. The organization delivers community education, household hazardous waste disposal, composting, paper shredding, and a Green Business sustainability certification program for local businesses.

Product overview

Recycle Utah is a nonprofit organization operating a single integrated recycling center in Park City, Utah, offering recycling services, education, and community programs. The core offering is the Recycling Center accepting 45+ items for recycling, supplemented by a Warehouse/Thrift Store for reselling used items. Additional services include rain barrel sales, moving materials sales, paper shredding, recycling bin rentals, composting, curbside recycling education, household hazardous waste collection, medicine disposal, used cooking oil recycling for biodiesel, car donations, and remote glass recycling bins. Educational offerings include elementary and adult education programs, a Green Business Program (sustainability certification), Zero Waste Wasatch Back community initiative, and an internship program. The organization also hosts community trash cleanups through the Pick Up Park City program. Revenue is generated through donations, fundraising events, material sales, and the thrift store.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Green Business Program: A program recognizing businesses that act sustainably under five categories: energy efficiency, water conservation, sustainable materials management, transportation, and thriving community and equity. Initiated by Recycle Utah in 2016.
• Zero Waste Wasatch Back

Products and services

• Recycling Center Drop-off Service Physical recycling center at 1951 Woodbine Way, Park City, Utah accepting 45+ types of materials including plastics, metals, electronics, and household hazardous waste. Open Mon-Sat 8:00am-5:30pm and serving 400+ cars daily.
• Warehouse Thrift Store

Quantifiable outcome

• Diverts nearly 4 million pounds of material from landfills annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tear-A-Part AutocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCar donation partner that de-manufactures donated vehicles, properly disposing of hazardous fluids and parts, making good auto parts available for re-use, and recycling the majority as scrap metal. Recycle Utah receives a donation for each car donated.
• Summit CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner in Green Business Program and waste diversion initiatives. Co-developing zero-carbon and zero-waste goals for Summit County businesses.
• Park City MunicipalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner in Green Business Program, sustainability initiatives, and community waste diversion efforts. Collaborated on waste management improvements.
• Park City Community FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Green Business Program and Zero Food Waste Initiative. Provides funding support and collaboration on community sustainability programs.
• Park City Chamber of Commerce and Visitor's BureauminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner bringing resources and recognition for businesses committed to sustainability through the Green Business Program.
• RRS (Resource Recycling Systems)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsulting team hired to analyze current waste management practices and provide recommendations for improving diversion rates and reducing landfill strain in Summit County.
• Park City MountainminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSki resort partner with snack wrapper recycling program. Collected 1.51 tons of wrappers in FY2024 with funding from Frito Lay/PepsiCo.
• UServeUtahminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Pick Up Park City community cleanup program.
• Zero Waste Wasatch BackcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative community group committed to reducing waste and preserving natural resources. Jointly hosts events like The Plastic Detox screening with Recycle Utah.
• fulFILLed Lifestyle Co.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal business partner co-hosting Zero Waste Wasatch Back events and sustainability programming.
• Summit Land ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on educational content about natural environment and wildlife stewardship.
• Utah Clean EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization speaking at Green Drinks events about renewable energy initiatives in Utah.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Keep America Beautiful: Keep America Beautiful is a national nonprofit focused on litter prevention, recycling, and community beautification programs including cleanups and education; highly comparable to Recycle Utah's Pick Up Park City community cleanup and education programming.
• Eureka Recycling: Eureka Recycling is a St. Paul, Minnesota-based nonprofit that operates recycling collection, processing, and education programs. Comparable to Recycle Utah as a mission-driven nonprofit running both collection operations and community education/outreach.
• Habitat for Humanity ReStore: Habitat ReStores are nonprofit thrift/retail operations that resell donated used goods to fund mission work; closely comparable to Recycle Utah's Warehouse thrift store component, which generates ~$90K annually selling reusable items.
• Eco-Cycle: Eco-Cycle is a Boulder, Colorado-based nonprofit recycling and zero-waste organization operating a drop-off center, education programs, and advocacy similar to Recycle Utah; both serve as community-anchored environmental nonprofits in mountain/recreation-oriented communities.
• Zero Waste USA: Zero Waste USA is a national nonprofit advocacy and education network advancing zero-waste community initiatives; comparable to Recycle Utah's Zero Waste Wasatch Back sub-brand and broader zero-waste advocacy and education work.

Emerging players

• TerraCycle: TerraCycle processes hard-to-recycle specialty waste streams (oral care, contact lenses, snack wrappers) and is already a partner to Recycle Utah; comparable as a specialty-recycling operator with a circular-economy focus that complements municipal drop-off programs.

Broad incumbents

• Goodwill Industries International: Goodwill operates a large national nonprofit thrift and reuse retail network with workforce and community programs; comparable to Recycle Utah as a nonprofit reuse-and-fundraising model, though at vastly greater scale and breadth.
• Recology: Recology is a large employee-owned waste and recycling hauler serving the western U.S. with curbside and drop-off services; a broad-incumbent peer to Recycle Utah's drop-off and material-recovery operations, though operating as a for-profit.
• Republic Services: Republic Services is a major publicly traded waste and recycling company offering residential, commercial, and specialty waste services nationwide; comparable to Recycle Utah as a recycling services provider but operating at vastly greater scale with municipal contracts.

Regional players

• Wasatch Integrated Waste Management District: A government waste-management district serving the Wasatch Back region adjacent to Recycle Utah's territory; operates recycling and household hazardous waste programs with similar material scope, making it a regional public-sector peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RecycleUtah
• Facebookfacebook.com/RecycleUtahParkCity
• Instagraminstagram.com/recycleutah
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/recycle-utah

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Recycle Utah