Recycle Utah and Summit County negotiate short‑ and long‑term plan as nonprofit faces relocation deadline

Recycle Utah representatives told the Summit County Council on June 11 that the nonprofit intends to continue operating and is seeking a place to relocate after receiving notice from the city that it must leave its current Park City property by next summer.

The discussion focused on whether the county remains a partner in Recycle Utah’s multi‑million‑dollar diversion plan, what short‑term steps are possible while a larger hub‑and‑spoke system is pursued, and how to avoid a service gap before Recycle Utah’s machines and staff must vacate the site.

Why it matters: Recycle Utah has operated local recycling services since 1995 and provides curbside and drop‑off collection used by Summit County residents. Without an agreed relocation strategy, the nonprofit says equipment and operations could be displaced by mid‑2026, leaving a potential interruption in recycling services and creating additional costs for the county if landfill diversion falls.

Recycle Utah officials — including board chair Ken Barfield and general manager Jim Bedell — described two prior grant efforts that involved Summit County. Barfield said the county participated as a partner on an EPA infrastructure application and that county staff had helped tailor a separate EPA program (referred to in the meeting as the SWIFFR grant) that also might fund the proposed hub…