Month: June 2025

For more than half a century, Growing Green has served as St. Louis’ premier plantscaping company, presenting beautiful indoor and outdoor garden design solutions that enhance and optimize the functionality of workspaces. With a curated mission to create thoughtfully designed spaces that promote health, happiness, and productivity, the Clean Air Partnership is delighted to shine a spotlight on the company for its commitment to making a difference for other local businesses – large or small – while keeping sustainability at the forefront of its operations. 

As a participant in the 2024 St. Louis Green Business Challenge at the Leader Level, Growing Green conducted Indoor Plant Week visits to existing and potential clients to educate them on plant benefits for working environments and the difference between living plants vs. faux plants in the workspace. Additionally, the company had its Green Team members attend a Sustainability Tradeshow to explore sustainable and compostable office material options, which led to using sustainable toilet paper and compostable kitchen towels in the office space. The company also elected to offer compostable and recyclable takeaway containers for its travel crew and kitchenware for in-office staff to use. 

“Becoming more sustainable is a priority for us at Growing Green,” said Jodi Stumpf, Director of Operations for Growing Green. “The Green Business Challenge has pushed us to explore new ways to cut waste and commit to more environmentally friendly practices. By making sustainability a focus, we’re supporting our team, clients, community and planet.” 

To help further reduce environmental impact, Growing Green introduced a new solar paneled work van to reduce its overall carbon footprint as its electrical equipment can run for up to four out of eight hours in a working day. And during the Challenge, Growing Green continually strived to reuse and repurpose holiday decor and ornaments. When this could no longer be done for client work, the company donated still useful items to partner charities. Growing Green also opted to repurpose and return certain containers to company plant vendors for reuse where possible.  

Other ways the company stayed green all year long included composting to cut down on excess waste, making every effort to buy local, testing solar-powered water pumps for its watering vehicles, transitioning from gas-powered lawn tools and equipment to electric-powered, scheduling service routes to maximize efficiency and save fuel, using biological controls such as beneficial insects and insecticidal soaps to reduce the use of synthetic chemicals and more. 

For more information about Growing Green and how your organization can get involved in the Green Business Challenge, subscribe to their bi-monthly E-Newsletter or visit stlouisgreenchallenge.com. For more on the link between sustainability and air quality, explore our website, like us on Facebook or follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @gatewaycleanair. 

Bi-State Development operates Metro Transit for the St. Louis region, providing the greater metropolitan area with sustainable and accessible transportation through light rail, bus and paratransit routes serving communities in St. Louis and St. Louis County in Missouri and in St. Clair County in Illinois. As a participant in the 2024 St. Louis Green Business Challenge and proud partner of the Clean Air Partnership, we’re pleased to highlight the organization’s outstanding efforts to incorporate green business practices that helped earn them recognition at the Leader Level.

Over the course of the 2024 Challenge, Metro Transit elected to report on its partnership with Ameren Missouri that powered its fleet of 24 electric buses operating out of the Brentwood MetroBus facility. The facility is powered by a nearby substation featuring smart technology that includes automated sensors, switches and self-healing equipment.

During the Challenge year, Metro Transit achieved an impressive sustainability milestone marking 1.5 million miles traveled for its battery-electric bus fleet. The public transit system also formalized a contract to acquire 55 MetroLink train cars with battery onboard energy storage, which can support up to five miles of off-wire operation.

Other notable accomplishments included Metro Transit’s sponsorship of the annual St. Louis Earth Day Festival, where team members engaged with the local sustainability community at the Muny grounds in Forest Park. Metro team members manned the booth and enjoyed interacting with crowds, spreading positive transit news and handing out fun giveaways with a clean and green electric bus serving as a vivid backdrop.

Last but certainly not least, Metro Transit was awarded more than $10 million by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) through its Low-and-No-Emission (Low-No) Vehicle program. The grant funding is going toward enhancing MetroBus service and improving air quality in the bi-state area through its purchase of new American-made, hybrid diesel-electric buses, which is a big win for the region!

“Bi-State Development’s participation in the Green Business Challenge goes hand in hand with our mission to improve the quality of life in our community,” said Taulby Roach, President & CEO of Bi-State Development. “We continue to make investments to strengthen the sustainability of our operations and our facilities, upgrade our transit fleet with new low and zero-emission vehicles, and adopt new technology that helps us deliver environmental and economic benefits to the entire St. Louis region.”

For more information about how to get your organization involved in the Green Business Challenge, subscribe to the bi-monthly E-Newsletter or visit stlouisgreenchallenge.com. For more on the link between sustainability and air quality, explore our website, like us on Facebook or follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @gatewaycleanair.

When summer hits its peak, so does poor air quality. Rising temperatures and transportation-related emissions can combine to create dangerous levels of ozone air pollution in the bi-state area. The St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership and Citizens for Modern Transit are therefore teaming up to launch a “No Red Day” campaign later this month that will run through August. This effort encourages individuals to take simple steps – like taking MetroLink and MetroBus to get to school, work, appointments, sports and entertainment venues, and everywhere else they need to go – to help prevent a red air quality day from happening. 

“When a red day is forecast, that means the air may contain higher levels of ground-level ozone, which forms when sunlight meets emissions from cars, fuels and everyday activities – and is unhealthy for everyone to breathe, especially children, seniors and people with existing respiratory conditions,” said Susannah Fuchs, Director of Healthy Air Solutions for the American Lung Association in Missouri, which oversees the Clean Air Partnership. “These days can be preventable if we take action, so it’s imperative that all of us continue to take voluntary steps to reduce emissions and help improve outcomes.” 

Area residents can visit NoRedDay.com to access a wealth of air quality information and ways to do their share for cleaner air to reduce transportation-related emissions. They can also register to receive a FREE Metro Adventure Day Pass (valued at $5) via mail for unlimited rides on transit on the day of their choice. Street teams from the partnering organizations will be at select MetroLink and MetroBus stops the morning of Wednesday, June 18, handing out individualized boxes of Hot Tamales candies with a scannable QR code sticker for riders to sign up to receive their next free ride. Our representatives will also be stationed outside Busch Stadium before the Cardinals game on Friday, June 20, handing out complimentary Cracker Jacks tied to the campaign for fans to enjoy. 

“We know auto emissions significantly impact daily air quality,” said Kimberly Cella, Executive Director of Citizens for Modern Transit. “With rising summer temperatures and more poor air quality days expected, we’re encouraging people to choose public transit with the first ride on us.” 

To learn more about the region’s air quality, public transportation options and campaign efforts, visit  NoRedDay.com.