Spotlight On: Midwest Recycling Center

Midwest Recycling Center (MRC) is the premiere destination for community and residential recycling in Missouri, Illinois and the surrounding areas. With four facilities conveniently centrally located in the United States, MRC provides its clients with electronics recycling services, Information Technology Asset Disposition, Medical and Lab Asset Disposition, and Data Destruction Services, with the goal of properly diverting electronic waste from landfills while offering suitable solutions to the ongoing issues of identity theft and environmental liability.

MRC was proud to participate in the 2021 St. Louis Green Business Challenge, which has contributed to the organization’s overall sustainability efforts over the years and continues to be a valuable resource for them. In 2021, MRC earned the esteemed title of Challenge Champion for completing work with the Leader scorecard and committing to continued implementation of deeper sustainability strategies.

“MRC is committed to promoting sustainable practices in our work with other Challenge participants, businesses and communities throughout the St. Louis region,” said Greg Cooksey, Director of Business Development and Compliance Officer at MRC. “We hold ourselves accountable for the environmental impacts of our business and advocate for R2 Certified responsible electronic recycling. I am proud of our Green Team and all our associates, who work hard every day to deliver a high service level to all MRC customers.”

Among MRC’s impressive accomplishments to receive recognition in the Challenge was the servicing of more than 100 recycling events combining e-Waste and document destruction. Following the mantra of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,” MRC either de-manufactures items collected down to a component level or finds a home for the item to be reused. Since reuse is the most environmentally friendly form of recycling, MRC tries to reuse items in the form of parts or as a working unit, as long as the client does not require the item be destroyed. To prevent any possibility of data mining, MRC also uses a data wiping system that serializes and generates a certificate of destruction for all recycled drives. Any hard drives that fail the wiping procedure or are unable to be discovered by the system are put through MRC’s shredder or degausser to make sure that customer data is completely irretrievable.

Once all recycled material is broken down to a component level, such as steel, aluminum, plastic, lead, etc., it is then shipped to an EPA and R2/RIOS approved facility to be shredded and separated further. The raw material is then melted or smelted and recycled back into a new product. Since MRC is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is Level 4 registered with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the company has a zero-landfill policy, meaning that none of the material will end up in a hazardous landfill which is also a positive for the region’s air quality.

The Clean Air Partnership is delighted to recognize the efforts of companies such as Midwest Recycling Center that continue to take action for cleaner air by channeling their time and energy towards practicing sustainability. For additional information on how your company can get involved in the St. Louis Green Business Challenge, subscribe to their weekly 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.

“Don’t Pollute. Switch Up Your Commute.” for Car Free Day

With the first day of fall quickly approaching, that means Car Free Day is also right around the corner. Thursday, September 22, is the day when people all around the world are preparing to ditch their keys to be car-free to help reduce traffic congestion and work towards creating a greener environment. While our cars are convenient and offer a number of benefits, over 1.5 billion motor vehicles travel the streets and roads of the world today, releasing a dangerous amount of auto emissions into the atmosphere.

Since transportation is one of the biggest contributors to air pollution in the region, the Clean Air Partnership, Citizens for Modern Transit and more than half a dozen partners – who collectively provide an array of transportation options that extend beyond driving in single-occupancy vehicles along with resources and incentives for doing so – joined forces to launch a summerlong “Don’t Pollute. Switch Up Your Commute.” campaign. As summer comes to an end, area residents are still encouraged to visit SwitchUpYourCommute.com to access a wealth of information on how the ways they choose to travel impacts the quality of air we breathe, while motivating them to modify commuting behaviors as often as they can.

You’ll find there are plenty of resources available for St. Louisans to keep their vehicles off area roads on Car Free Day and beyond to help take heat off the planet and our lungs:

    • Metro Transit – The region’s public transit system offers great alternatives for the work commute or an option to hopping in your car for short trips. Serving St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Clair County, Ill., Metro Transit allows riders to walk to a nearby stop, or park and take a train or bus, or a combination of the two, to get where they are going – safely, comfortably and conveniently. Those who live in Madison County, Ill., will find Madison County Transit to be another great alternative, as well as SCCTD for St. Clair County residents.
    • Carpool/Vanpool – RideFinders is the free, St. Louis regional commuter carpool and vanpool program. By using the organization’s easy online ride-matching service, RideFinders connects area workers looking to share the ride, the driving and the cost of a smart and sustainable commute. Moreover, RideFinders provides the van, pays for gas, maintenance and insurance for a low monthly cost. Commute with Enterprise also offers a choice to those looking to share a ride with neighboring coworkers in a SUV, crossover or van. Everyone splits the costs and driving duties, saving passengers valuable time and money while doing the right thing for the community and environment.
    • Walk or Bike – For individuals who live close to work, choosing to walk or bike, instead of idling in rush hour traffic, helps take cars off area roads and reduces the amount of ozone-forming emissions generated. Walking and biking can also be easily paired with transit, as all Metro Transit and MCT buses are equipped with bike racks so individuals can bring their bikes on MetroLink or park it at one of the stations’ bike racks.
    • Telecommute – As traffic continues to ramp back up in the region, so does the potential for increased auto emissions that contribute to ozone formation. For those who can work from home, continuing to telecommute full-time or at least occasionally is encouraged.

For a host of additional tips on how to achieve cleaner air all year long and not just for special occasions, visit our website, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @gatewaycleanair.

 

Clean Air Partnership and CMT Release 2022 Air Quality Forecasting and “Don’t Pollute. Switch Up Your Commute.” Campaign Update

The St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership today released data from the first half of the 2022 air quality forecasting season. While the findings reveal no poor or “red” air quality days to-date, the need to continue taking steps to help clear the air remains important as we head into the final stretch of summer. To that end, the Clean Air Partnership continues to work collaboratively with Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) and other partnering organizations to inform people the way they choose to travel impacts the quality of air area residents breathe, while motivating them to modify commuting behaviors as often as they are able through the summerlong “Don’t Pollute. Switch Up Your Commute,” campaign.

Over the past few months, the St. Louis region has seen its share of scorching temperatures and a related increase in the number of days when the air quality has reached moderate to unhealthy ranges. At the mid-point of the air quality forecasting season, yellow was the dominant color with 47 moderate air quality days, followed by 36 green days where the air quality was good, and four unhealthy orange days for sensitive populations, including children, older adults and those with existing lung conditions. This reinforces the need for individuals to prioritize lung health by minimizing exposure to air pollution and taking action to reduce harmful emissions that contribute to the problem.

As part of the “Don’t Pollute. Switch Up Your Commute.” campaign, hundreds of St. Louisans signed up to receive daily air quality forecasts at SwitchUpYourCommute.com to stay informed about ozone pollution levels in the region and how those levels can affect their health. Local companies with the most employee participation included Washington University St. Louis, BJC HealthCare and Stifel. As part of this effort, those registered received a text when the air quality was forecasted to be unhealthy, encouraging them to modify commuting behaviors. According to responses, 39% took transit, 30% telecommuted, 16% stayed home (if the unhealthy forecast fell on a weekend), 12% carpooled, 2% biked and 2% walked.

“Though recent heavy rainfall and intermittent storms have helped regulate temperatures during what has traditionally been the hottest part of the year, we still remain in the peak of summer, when weather conditions create a risk for higher ozone pollution levels and ozone-related health concerns,” commented Susannah Fuchs, Director of Clean Air for the American Lung Association in Missouri, which oversees the St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership. “It’s very important that area residents stay informed about the quality of the air we breathe and continue to take voluntary steps to reduce emissions to help improve outcomes.”

For more information about the “Don’t Pollute. Switch Up Your Commute.” campaign, visit www.SwitchUpYourCommute.com.