As the world’s largest independent nonprofit dedicated to plant science, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a recognized leader in sustainability. The Danforth Center is committed to improving the quality of human life, preserving the environment and creating a more sustainable future for both our region and the planet. Through its plant research, the Center is driving large-scale impact that extends far beyond the St. Louis region.
The Danforth Center continues to make meaningful progress in sustainability through its Future Forward campaign—a $165 million initiative designed to expand the Center’s global impact through plant science and innovation. The campaign supports the development of sustainable crop solutions, strengthens food security for smallholder farmers and promotes overall planetary health. Efforts like these earned the Danforth Center recognition as a Leader Level participant in the 2025 St. Louis Green Business Challenge.
“The Green Business Challenge opened our eyes to sustainability opportunities we hadn’t considered before,” said Todd Hornburg, Danforth Center’s Vice President of Facilities. “The ideas identified through the Challenge scorecard process will continue to guide us as we live out our commitment to sustainability.”
To further advance its sustainability goals, the Danforth Center has been steadily upgrading lighting fixtures across its campus to energy-efficient LED systems, helping reduce overall energy consumption. During its participation in the Green Business Challenge, the Center also transitioned all cleaning products to Green Seal-certified options and installed several water bottle filling stations throughout its facilities. These stations encourage the use of reusable bottles and help reduce plastic waste. In addition, many of the Center’s laboratory spaces have been converted to LED lighting, bringing overall coverage to just under 50%, with a goal of reaching as close to 100% as possible in the coming years.
Furthermore, the Danforth Center hosted BioSTL’s ReACH AgriFood Innovation Summit in February of the Challenge year, which brought together global leaders, farmers and innovators to share ideas on regenerative agriculture and sustainable food systems. The event reflected the Center’s ongoing commitment to advancing sustainability and fostering collaboration across the agrifood sector.
As an environmental leader, the Danforth Center also hosted the 2025 Green Business Challenge Awards Luncheon. The event included a tour of the Center’s facilities and operations, offering attendees a firsthand look at its sustainability efforts in action.
Community education is another important component of the Danforth Center’s mission. Through initiatives like the Cox Lab—a partnership between Washington University and the Danforth Center—the organization actively engaged with local students to promote environmental awareness. During a visit to the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Camp, the Cox Lab team taught students how duckweed can help clean water through a process known as phytoremediation. This hands-on activity encouraged environmental stewardship while highlighting the important role plants play in supporting clean, sustainable ecosystems.
For more information about the Danforth Center or to get involved in the St. Louis Green Business Challenge, subscribe to the bi-monthly E-Newsletter or visit stlouisgreenchallenge.com. For more on how sustainability connects to air quality, visit the Clean Air Partnership website, like us on Facebook or follow us on X @gatewaycleanair.
