Park City restaurants participating in the inaugural Chef's Table Festival this August will get their food waste diverted from the Summit County landfill at no cost, and those that stick with the program afterward receive nine months of free service.

The Park City Community Foundation announced Monday, July 27, that it is partnering with the Chef's Table Festival to cover diversion costs for more than half of the restaurants hosting the event's 70-plus visiting chefs from Thursday, August 13, through Sunday, August 16. Restaurants that continue diverting food waste after the festival ends qualify for the Foundation's Zero Food Waste business incentive program, which covers up to $3,000 in pickup costs through Momentum Recycling for nine months, including startup fees, bins, and staff training.

After month 10, businesses take over the cost themselves.

They commit to at least 18 months total.

The timing matters. Park City Municipal has enacted a waste reduction ordinance requiring businesses with a physical address in the city to comply with waste hauling and reporting rules. The incentive program gives restaurants a subsidized on-ramp.

Victoria Schlaepfer, the Foundation's Climate Fund Manager, said when the business incentive program launched Wednesday, July 1, that reducing food waste and diverting it from the landfill "has been identified as one of the best ways to have a local impact on climate issues."

Food waste fills nearly half the air space at the Summit County landfill, according to the Foundation. Diverting it could extend the landfill's life by 10 years. Since launching in June 2024, the Zero Food Waste initiative has kept more than 1,000 tons out of the landfill, the equivalent of 71 fully loaded dump trucks. About 60 local restaurants and businesses and more than 1,500 households already participate through Momentum Recycling's weekly collection service.

Alpinist, the modern alpine restaurant at 7720 Royal St. in Upper Deer Valley, will try food waste diversion for the first time through the partnership. The restaurant will also host a fundraising dinner for the Zero Food Waste initiative on Friday, August 14, featuring a course each from Chef Inés Páez Nin of Aguají in the Dominican Republic and Chef Jaime Rodríguez of Celele in Cartagena, Colombia. Tickets are available at events.humanitix.com/chef-s-table-x-pccf.

Chef's Table Festival packages are available at festival.chefstable.com. Foundation supporters can use code PCCF25 for 25% off.

The business incentive program is open to restaurants, caterers, and other food-related businesses in Park City and Summit County. Spots are limited. Interested businesses can contact Schlaepfer at [email protected].