Reduce, Reuse and Remember …
Photography: Jill Orschel
I suspect I am not the only one in Park City who thinks of Insa Riepen every day. Her voice is in my head when I shamefully consider asking for a plastic bag at the grocery store, when I feel lazy about sorting my recyclables, or when it crosses my mind to toss anything made of paper into the trash. Insa Riepen is my environmental barometer, my living reminder to save the planet.
This spitfire of a woman from Germany landed in Park City eight years ago and the community gained more than just another resident. It got someone with a vision, someone who won’t take no for an answer, and someone who is constantly educating newer generations about the impact of their actions on our environment.
When Riepen first moved to Utah with her family, she wasn’t sure it would be a good fit. Then she discovered a few key elements. The Colby School, Park City Library and Main Street were the entities that spoke to her, and confirmed that she could make Park City her new home. “I wanted a good school for my son, and a place where I could be involved,” she says.
Involved she has been, from that day forward. Friend and colleague Diane Foster says Riepen’s capacity to give to others seems endless. “Insa is tenacious and continually volunteers for other non-profits,” she says. “She is a woman who gets stuff done, and who believes in people. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be trying to do what she is doing.”
Many of Riepen’s philanthropic activities impact children — whether it’s at The Colby School, where her son is a student, or at her day job at Recycle Utah. “It all goes back to educating the kids in our school system,” Riepen explains in her trademark German accent. “Parents are too busy to listen, but children listen and influence an entire family’s behavior.” Riepen promotes such “behaviors” as converting a lawn to a xeriscaped area, creating a compost system, or reducing water usage across the board.
It was 1999 when Riepen marched into the Park City Recycling Center to volunteer and ended up with the director’s job within a week. Much of her strategy focuses on student outreach. “I love dealing with kids of any age. They are sponges. You can show them a picture of the earth, and they understand it is precious,” she says. To this day, Riepen spends much of her time as executive director talking to dozens of students each week, from pre-school to high school, explaining that what we do to the environment here in Park City affects those as far away as New Zealand.
“When I go in [to a school group], I introduce myself. I have a folded flag. I say, ‘This is our subject’ and [the kids] unfold an earth flag. I ask them: ‘What matters about this blue ball, the sphere?’ They know the answer. It matters that [earth] is our home to protect.”
Looking back, Riepen remembers being the only full-time employee at the recycling center with one part-time worker. Then, they might have seen 30 cars a day. Now, an average day has more than 500 people dropping off recyclables. That’s progress that delights Riepen.
Also notable is the fact that Recycle Utah exists. In 2000, it was scheduled to shut down. Riepen fought for its survival. Her success allowed her to rebuild the organization, essentially starting from scratch.
You may wonder: does this woman truly practice what she preaches? The answer is yes. And she always has. Growing up on the small island of Juist in Northern Germany, Riepen practiced conserving everything. In her homeland, it is very difficult to dispose of garbage. You pay for what you throw away. Therefore you make very little garbage. That same European sensibility has stayed with her since. “I have a very small garbage can,” she explains. “I only put it out for collection once a month.” She also confirms that 30 percent of her waste is compostable. She is a master composter and gardener and passionate about teaching others to reduce waste. “It is way too easy for us to throw things away here. I’m convinced that the only way to change this is to charge people,” she says.
Riepen is no doubt motivated by Park City’s youth, and more specifi-cally her 13-year-old son, Kai. “I do what I do for him,” she says. Referring to global warming, she says, “If we want to have snow [in the future] for our kids and their kids, we need to change,” she states emphatically.
“We need to lead the environmental movements. We need to be the engine, not the caboose.”
Listen carefully, and you’ll hear Insa’s reminders in your head every day.
Katie Eldridge, owner of Panic Button Media, lives in Park City where she aspires to respect the earth more each day.
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