Guest Blogger: Morgan Bowerman

USU Extension Sustainability helps everyday people live more healthy, happy and sustainable lives. This is the twenty-third of a series of posts that feature real people who are making real changes in their lives to be more sustainable.

This month we are featuring Wasatch Resource Recovery’s Resource Recovery and Sustainability Manager Morgan Bowerman. Discover how Morgan is helping Utah create renewable energy from food waste, how she implemented sustainable initiatives in Uganda, her advice for minimizing waste, and more!

Q1. What is Wasatch Resource Recovery and what does your job there entail?

A: Wasatch Resource Recovery is Utah’s first and only anaerobic digestion facility dedicated to food waste diversion. The facility will accept most types of organic material including food scraps, food manufacturing waste, and expired food and beverages from along the Wasatch Front.  It is currently under construction, and once commercially operational in the fall of 2018, the facility will divert these waste streams away from the overfilled landfills where they release dangerous greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. Through the process of anaerobic digestion, greenhouse gasses will be captured and converted into clean, renewable natural gas. Additionally, a carbon-rich soil amendment will be produced to provide much needed nutrients and carbon back into our soils. Wasatch Resource Recovery, located in North Salt Lake, is a public-private partnership between ALPRO Energy & Water and South Davis Sewer District.

I am the Resource Recovery and Sustainability Manager for the facility.  That means I get to talk to all the different food-waste producers – restaurants, grocery stores, food manufacturers, etc. – about sending us their inedible food waste.  I also make sure we’re utilizing our incoming and outgoing resources in the best way possible. 

Q2. What are you working on currently that you’re most excited about?

A: This whole project has been a blast.  This is really the first large-scale solution for organic waste in Utah, and I love that I get to be a part of it from the beginning.  I really enjoy meeting with all the different food industry people in the area, we have some really exciting participants who are already on board to send us their food waste, and others who plan to participate once we are operational.  I love being a pioneer in Utah’s organic waste diversion.  

Q3. You’ve traveled to Uganda in the past to help with sustainability issues there. Tell us about this experience?

A: My initial position in Uganda was to work as a microenterprise project manager.  But it was very soon after being there that I realized Gulu (the town I lived in) had no waste removal system to speak of.  Garbage was being dumped in the street, in alley ways, in canals, and was largely openly burned.  There is no potable water flowing from the taps there, so I drank a lot of bottled water, and the thought of all those bottles being burned was more than I could handle.  I found out about a Catholic women’s center utilizing empty bottles and a rehabilitation center for those who came back from the war that was utilizing waste paper.  Both of these institutions had a serious need for more material, but there was no infrastructure set up to gather and deliver these products.  It was so clear to me this was something I could, and should, do.  I began to work as the middle-man between offices with paper and restaurants with bottles, delivering them to these end users.  Needless to say, it was life-changing and upon my return to the States, sustainability remained my passion.  In the US we have similar waste issues, we’re just better at sweeping it under the rug. 

Q4. What struggles have you encountered trying to educate others about sustainability?

A. There are different struggles for different areas I’ve lived in. In Northern Uganda, many people are dealing with extreme and pressing issues.  Though taking care of the environment will prevent many future issues, it understandably isn’t the top priority.  The Acholi people care very much about their land, but convincing them not to adopt the convenient Western waste culture proved difficult.  After coming home from Uganda, I worked in Boulder, CO on recycling education and outreach. Boulder has a strong sustainability culture, but it is sometimes it is more difficult to change the behavior of those who already think they are doing everything right. Convincing them that a Starbucks coffee cup actually isn’t recyclable, and gum is plastic-based and not compostable could be tricky.  Here in Utah, we have our own unique set of struggles.  Utahns are passionate about a lot of things, including the outdoors and recreation.  However, that passion doesn’t always translate to taking care of and preserving those outdoor spaces.  Changing culture is never easy, but I think we’re on a precipice in Utah, ready to be pushed over the sustainability edge.  We just need to keep working for it. 

Q5. What three pieces of advice would you give Americans trying to minimize waste?

A: 1. Set up systems for yourself to make it easy – carry a compact reusable bag in your backpack or purse so you can’t forget it, put your recycling bin right next to your garbage can so it’s no harder to recycle than to landfill something, put the leftovers in your fridge in plain sight so it’s the first thing you see when you open the door.  2. Shop second hand – nearly everything I own, clothing, furniture, bicycle, etc., is second hand.  There are mind-numbing amounts of waste created during the manufacturing process; shopping at thrift stores can greatly reduce the amount of indirect waste you create as a consumer.  Shopping thrift is easier than most think, get to know your local shop and you can often find just what you want when you want it.  3. Stick to the old adage “Fix it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without!” This means rethinking some of our ideals – you may think to throw away those shoes and buying new is easier, but sometimes it’s cheaper and just as easy to get them re-soled. Consider if you truly need a new phone, or does yours just seem frumpy next to your coworkers latest and greatest? Will buying that cute shirt in every color really make you happier, or just clutter your already-too-cluttered closet?

Q6. How do you practice sustainability personally?

A: I feel like I live a pretty normal life, but I try to keep sustainable choices in mind as I go through my day.  I don’t buy paper towels or bottled water. I typically bring a lunch to work and carry utensils and a to-go box with me if I eat out.  We are renting, so there is only so much we can do in our home, but we shut the lights off in unused rooms and are conscious of our water use.  I combine errand trips in my car and ride our scooter around town when possible.  We have a small garden to grow some of our own food and enjoy shopping at the farmer’s market.  Adopting these practices didn’t seem like large lifestyle changes, but together have made a difference.