While the recent drop in temperature means we can all look forward to breathing a little easier over the next several months, the importance of keeping the region’s air clean still remains high. This fall, the Clean Air Partnership is pleased to continue highlighting local businesses and municipalities that are working to make sustainability a top priority to help people all across the area breathe easier.
With the charming characteristics of a small town but all of the amenities of a dynamic suburban environment, the City of Wentzville continues to build a better future for its constituents with new residential and commercial growth. As an active participant in the Green Cities Challenge, Wentzville has also further solidified its commitment to incorporating sustainability measures into their everyday operational practices. In 2019, the city received an Award of Achievement for advancing their green efforts by implementing a sustainability policy and practicing fundamentals, including addressing measures defined by OneSTL, the regional plan for sustainable development.
Among their impressive green innovations to receive recognition in the 2019 Challenge was the exponential growth of its Green Team, which established a new mission statement to focus on educating and supporting the community in taking action to practice more sustainable habits. Wentzville’s Green Team sponsored the 2nd Annual Zero-Waste Luncheon for 275 city staff members, resulting in 72 lbs. of material composted. All of the cans, cups and food containers were either recycled, reused or composted, leaving behind only the gloves used to handle food to throw away. Green Team members also served as Recycling Ambassadors to educate city employees on recycling “do’s and don’ts” to reduce office contamination. Collectively, these initiatives and the employees’ hard work contributed less waste in our landfills, which is a win for cleaner air in the region!
Additionally, Wentzville created a “Cans for Change” program across four city buildings that collected more than 380 lbs. of aluminum cans to be recycled and help fund various Green Team initiatives. The city also hosted several green presentations and Lunch-and-Learn events for city staff on a wide-range of sustainability topics.
To further reduce environmental impact, Wentzville enhanced the importance of curbside recycling. This effort virtually eliminated contamination from 14,000 homes. Other noteworthy recycling innovations include multiple electronics recycling and shredding events, which resulted in 82,000 lbs. of e-waste diverted from the landfill.
For additional information about the ongoing sustainable efforts by the City of Wentzville and how your municipality can get involved in the St. Louis Green Business Challenge/Green Cities Challenge, subscribe to their bi-monthly E-Newsletter or visit www.stlouisgreenchallenge.com. To learn more about the link between sustainability and air quality, explore our website, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @gatewaycleanair.
