Passively, Recycle Utah collects 2,500 pounds of batteries every other month, which are combed through and sorted by Ellen Sherk's hands. With Recycle Utah, Pale Blue Earth hopes to collect more from the community and keep them out of landfills. Photo: Recycle Utah.

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — After months of public concern along with public and internal discussions about Recycle Utah’s future, Summit County, Park City, and the nonprofit have announced a coordinated new chapter to secure recycling access for residents well into the future, officials jointly announced Wednesday.

The announcement outlines a plan for the summer of 2026, when Recycle Utah is slated to move out of its current location, to maintain uninterrupted access to recycling services for residents and visitors. The partners announced Park City will relinquish rights to a 4.18-acre parcel along U.S. 40, to be designated as a permanent home for Recycle Utah’s operations, including drop-off, collection, education, and outreach.

“This move secures the future of Recycle Utah and strengthens our region’s recycling infrastructure for decades to come,” local leaders said in their joint statement.
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From Draft Plans & Tension to a Concrete Path Forward

Over the past several months, Recycle Utah’s future had grown increasingly murky. In May, TownLift reporting revealed a draft plan from Summit County and Park City to phase out Recycle Utah’s role as the primary drop-off center, proposing a network of satellite sites and a new centralized facility to replace its current Prospector location. At the time, Recycle Utah officials reported being unaware of the draft—and expressed concerns that the plan sidestepped their input.

In June, County Council members gave Recycle Utah a 30-day deadline to present a relocation blueprint, stemming from a prior announcement that their current site on Woodbine Way would no longer be sustainable beyond 2026. Recycle Utah’s leadership warned that while the county had offered land, the lack of funding for construction made any move infeasible without serious financial support.

A key sticking point had been the difference between support and commitment — Recycle Utah contended that while the county had backed grant proposals, it had not committed to the capital investment needed to build a new facility. Analysts also flagged that the parcel offered was inadequate in size and lacked infrastructure funding to support a full materials-recovery facility.

In September, Recycle Utah announced that Jim Bedell would step down as General Manager of Recycle Utah.

Planning for Growth & a Sustainable Roadmap

Beyond selecting a new site, the partners plan to refresh Summit County’s 2018 Solid Waste Master Plan. The updated version will feature more ambitious waste-reduction and diversion targets, and strategies to bring those goals to fruition over 5-, 10-, and 20-year timeframes.

Officials say the vision is broader than relocation: expanding recycling access throughout the county, reducing dependence on landfills, and empowering residents and businesses with more convenient, sustainable waste options.

“Summit County, Park City, and Recycle Utah are united in this work,” the announcement emphasized. “We are committed to providing uninterrupted, accessible options for residents and visitors to reduce and recycle their waste.”

Editor’s note: Further information about how the project will be financed was not immediately available. Stay tuned for future coverage.