Author: Julie Hauser

As cities, businesses and individuals in the St. Louis metro area make strides toward becoming better stewards of our environment, the Clean Air Partnership continues to recognize those that are helping to take action for cleaner air in the region. This month, we are shining a spotlight on Commerce Bank for their green innovations, achievements and corporate responsibility to reduce environmental impact.

Commerce Bank is a proud participant of the St. Louis Green Business Challenge and received the Achievement Award in the Star Circle of Excellence and Award of Merit at the Leader Level – Owner Category in 2019. When it comes to keeping our planet healthy and clean, Commerce Bank aims to be as efficient as possible, measuring their consumption and waste each year to ensure the company remains mindful stewards of the Earth’s resources and encourages its customers, employees, suppliers and communities to do the same. The company’s Corporate Social Responsibility report from last year noted that their “Green Team” is focused on monitoring paper consumption, energy usage and green cleaning supplies usage in its offices, as well as brainstorming solutions and implementing change in the areas where they feel they can do better for the environment.

Last year alone, the company decreased its printer usage by 13%, which ultimately led to a 27% decrease in overall paper usage. After taking inventory last fall, the company also discovered that its list of unused office supplies resulted in over $11,000 in savings. While these impressive accomplishments saved Commerce Bank money, they also condensed the amount of supplies needed to be manufactured, reducing harmful emissions and preserving valuable resources.

To further reduce environmental impact, the company has been working to decrease energy consumption by making the switch to LED lighting. As a result, the new Commerce Connect Branch is operating with 100% LED lighting, all lighting on the 12^th floor of its corporate headquarters has been updated to LED, and an additional 10 Commerce Bank branches have switched to LED signs, too. With the lifespan of LED bulbs lasting 25,000 hours compared to 1,200 hours for an incandescent bulb, these eco-friendly updates will allow Commerce Bank to significantly reduce their energy consumption in the offices and improve air quality.

At the company’s Vandeventer-Chouteau branch, Commerce Bank updated their Rainscapes Report to help reduce storm water runoff on the property and store it for future use. Additionally, electric vehicle charging stations were installed in the parking garages, making it possible for more employees to drive electric vehicles to work and do their share to reduce emissions from gas-powered engines.

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. For additional information on the sustainable efforts underway by Commerce Bank and how your company can get involved in the St. Louis Green Business Challenge, visit http://stlouisgreenchallenge.com/.

Participants in the St. Louis Green Business/Green Cities Challenge have been working hard to integrate eco-friendly measures in order to reduce their environmental impact and improve the region’s air quality. As part of the 2019 Green Cities Challenge, nine municipalities incorporated innovative and environmentally friendly practices into their local governments, and this month, we are thrilled to shine a spotlight on the City of Edwardsville for their commitment to pursuing various strategies to be a more sustainable community.

Many of the city’s green innovations last year focused on the importance of recycling and reducing waste. Edwardsville rolled out a variety of programs and educational resources throughout the city, including recycling flyers to place in residents’ City Water Bills and detailed recycling information in vendor applications for City Park events. They even brought recycling education into classrooms at local schools to instill green habits early on with the hope that students will make it an everyday habit.

Last October, Edwardsville City Council adopted a Single Use Bag Fee Ordinance that will go into effect on July 1, requiring a 10 cent per bag fee for disposable plastic and paper checkout bags at all retail businesses greater than 7,000 sq. ft. Because plastics bags are produced from non-renewable resources and remain as litter in the environment, the ordinance is being put in place to encourage the use of reusable bags to help clean the air by cutting down on thousands of plastic ones that end up in landfills.

Furthermore, the Single Use Bag Fee Ordinance inspired a Bag-Share program created by the regional action group, Bring Your Own, providing residents an outlet to reduce single-use waste and help others to do the same. Launched in partnership with local community retailers and institutions, the program distributes baskets labeled “Take a Bag, Leave a Bag” at various participating locations where shoppers can take clean, reusable bags if needed or leave an extra they might have. Due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19 and the state’s recommendation that shoppers no longer use reusable bags for the time being to protect both shoppers and cashiers from spreading the virus, the program is temporarily on hold.

In terms of collaboration, Edwardsville teamed up with the City of Glen Carbon on the mayor’s letter that calls for a decrease in plastic straw consumption by only providing straws per request in restaurants to raise awareness about the damage caused by disposable single-use plastics. Additionally, Edwardsville collaborated with the Beautification Tree Commission on the Heritage Tree Initiative with plans to spotlight the aesthetic and environmental benefits of mature trees throughout the city.

Other noteworthy accomplishments by Edwardsville in the Challenge include expanding their Green Team, increasing solar installation to support the Grow Solar regional effort, supporting major conservation purchases in the city and surveying policies in preparation of further sustainability improvements moving forward.

For additional information on the sustainable efforts underway by the City of Edwardsville and how your municipality can get involved in the Challenge, subscribe to the 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.

For more than a decade, the St. Louis Green Business Challenge has helped businesses of all types and sizes move our region to a leadership position in sustainability. As these organizations continue to serve and better their communities, The Clean Air Partnership is thrilled to shine a spotlight on Environmental Operations, Inc., this month for their recent achievements and green innovations.

In 2019, 61 companies, nonprofits, institutions and governmental bodies participated in the Challenge, integrating sustainability measures into the kinds of everyday operational practices common to every business. Last year, Environmental Operations, Inc., received the Circle of Excellence Achievement Award and secured the third place title at the Leader Level – Tenant Category for having the greatest gain from their baseline to final point totals during the Challenge.

Environmental Operations, Inc., (EOI), is a nationwide leader in guiding environmental projects of all sizes from inception to successful completion using an innovative, investment-minded approach. Located in the City of St. Louis, EOI provides a range of environmental engineering, consulting and contracting services for development projects. The company understands the importance of limiting environmental risk, and unlike many environmental firms, they share the risk and reward of environmental solutions with their clients. The company also has made great strides in implementing strategic and environmentally friendly measures in its own daily operations.

Among their extensive list of accomplishments includes cleaning out overstocked kitchen and cleaning supplies and replacing them with reusable, greener options. EOI removed single-use items such as plastic water bottles in conference rooms and substituted them with water glasses and pitchers. Additionally, the office switched to default double-sided printing, with the exception of certain state and federal documents, and swapped out regular paper towels for unbleached and recycled-content products.

EOI continually strives to make sustainability a focus of their company culture. Staff members volunteer regularly for organizations such as Zero Waste Ambassadors at the Missouri Botanical Garden and the St. Louis Area Food Bank. Employees have also participated in neighborhood clean-ups for Earth Day and company picnics aimed toward zero waste by composting food and recycling beverage containers. Other green initiatives include in-office collections of employees’ batteries, Styrofoam and electronics for proper recycling.

To further reduce environmental impact, the company implemented a new, paperless HR portal system and timekeeping system. Both are designed to safely handle important employee documents and materials, all while minimizing printed record keeping to help increase company efficiency and improve air quality.

For additional information on the sustainable efforts underway by Environmental Operations, Inc., and how other organizations can get involved in the Challenge, subscribe to the 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.

As the region continues to move toward improved sustainability, the St. Louis Green Business/Green Cities Challenge supports organizations and municipalities that are doing their part to integrate eco-friendly measures into everyday operational practices. For more than a decade, these esteemed programs have seen the commitment of 233 businesses, nonprofits and municipalities, engaging 155,000+ employees and nearly 470,000 residents to reduce environmental impact and help improve air quality.

In 2019, nine municipalities participated in the Green Cities Challenge, each addressing and incorporating sustainability in various ways unique to their local government. This month, the Clean Air Partnership is delighted to shine a spotlight on the City of Collinsville, Ill. for their continued push for innovation and development.

Collinsville has been buzzing with excitement since they legalized beekeeping within the city last year, making it possible for all residents to maintain bee hives based on the size of the property in effort to help boost pollination of nearby crops. Popular destination Willoughby Farms stepped up to do their share for cleaner air by discontinuing the use of all Styrofoam products on its grounds and enlisted the help of 487 volunteers to participate in farm activities, including the U of I Extension’s Master Gardener’s class, Urban Ecology Club, composting and vermiculture classes, and beekeeping classes.

Additionally, the city has made waves in the form of energy conservation, with new renovations to the Activity Center and Aqua Park that are expected to create annual energy savings between $10,000-$15,000 and yield operations and maintenance savings between $15,000-$20,000.

Other exciting initiatives included two Solar Power Hours at City Hall, which welcomed 40 residents to explore the use of solar panels in their homes. To raise awareness on single-use plastics, the Collinsville Cool Cities Committee distributed a total of 650 reusable tote bags during the Farmer’s Market and other community events. The city also co-hosted an Electronics Recycling Drive with Madison County that was free to all residents, collecting more than 54,000 pounds of electronics that will skip the landfill and result in fewer greenhouse gas emissions released into the atmosphere!

As the city continues to set goals in its focus areas: transportation; buildings, grounds and lighting; environmental management; land use and planning; community development; and engagement and education, Collinsville hopes to promote and create accessible walking and bike paths to popular community destinations such as schools, libraries and grocery stores as part of their 2020 Sustainability Plan. They also vow to continue adding more hybrid and electric car-charging stations and invest in other viable options for sustainable transportation.

Registration for the 2020 St. Louis Green Business/Green Cities Challenge is now open. For additional information on the sustainable efforts underway by the City of Collinsville and how your municipality can get involved in the Challenge, subscribe to the 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.

As warmer temperatures make their way to the region and spring begins to chase what’s left of the winter blues away, the importance of keeping the region’s air clean is at an all-time high. The Clean Air Partnership is thrilled to continue recognizing businesses and institutions of all types and sizes that are driving change in the metro area, and this month, we’re especially excited to highlight one local company that has been utilizing innovative and sustainable approaches to make buildings all over the world perform better.

Trane is a world leader in air conditioning systems, services and solutions that takes pride in providing comfortable and energy-efficient environments for homes and commercial buildings worldwide. As a global company, Trane recognizes that sustainability fuels their mission to perform in a way that creates lasting value for stakeholders and has a positive influence on the world. In recognition of that commitment, the company received the St. Louis Green Business Challenge Award of Merit at the Leader Level – Tenant Category and the Achievement Award in the Circle of Excellence in 2019.

Last April, Trane facilitated a Spring Cleaning Reuse event during Earth Month to encourage employees to donate unused office supplies, and employees were then able to “shop” through their peers’ supplies for their own office needs rather than buy brand new products. To further reduce environmental impact, the company installed water bottle filling stations throughout their offices to educate visitors and employees about the importance of bottle reuse and water conservation.

Since a healthy diet also helps the environment, Trane hosted various educational sessions to encourage employees to make more eco-friendly purchases and opt for natural, healthy food options to help combat environmental pollution.

Other noteworthy green innovations include a 200,000 sq. ft. warehouse consolidation that helped reduce overall energy consumption within the company. This resulted in a reduced number of powered industrial vehicles needed for operation, which helped cut down on harmful emissions that ultimately leads to poor air quality.

While Trane provides unique opportunities for its employees to participate in green initiatives and practice sustainable habits, their efforts are not limited to the office. The company also promoted tree planting by giving saplings to employees who submitted “Green at Home” ideas or an Earth Day Pledge during Earth Month activities this past April. Doing their share for clean air doesn’t stop there, as Trane provided flowers to employees for campus planting and planting at home, too.

Registration for the 2020 St. Louis Green Business Challenge is officially open. For additional information on the sustainable efforts underway by Trane and how your company can get involved in the Challenge, subscribe to the 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.

Emily Andrews, executive director of the Missouri Gateway Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is stepping up in the fight for cleaner air by greening the region one building at a time.

Since its inception in 2001, the Missouri Gateway Chapter has worked diligently to initiate, develop and accelerate implementation of green building concepts that promote environmentally responsible, prosperous and healthy places to live and work. In almost two decades, the chapter has grown to more than 600 individuals representing an array of companies and organizations, all sharing a common vision to create a more sustainable Metro area.

Now in her 14^th year with the council, Andrews initially joined as a coordinator and served as the chapter’s first full-time staff person, ultimately growing the position to an executive director role after just a few years. Her primary responsibilities with the USGBC include providing outreach, education and advocacy for green building principles and practices throughout the region.  Programmatically, she focuses on energy benchmarking campaigns, which is an effort to get buildings to take the first step in determining how to conserve resources, reduce operating costs and reduce environmental impacts by tracking their energy use and comparing it to similar buildings and to past performance.

“The interesting thing about working for USGBC – and the pun is actually intended here – is that you’ve got a roof over all of these different environmental issues that come together in one place where you can talk to people about them,” said Andrews.

Under her leadership, the USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter continues to evolve. The chapter began adding more technical sessions and detailed training opportunities to their robust calendar of events, as well as evening educational programs that are held on the second Tuesday of each month in locations around the St. Louis metropolitan area. In-depth seminars are also offered throughout the year that cover a wide-range of topics for business professionals and individuals who are implementing and applying green building practices and principles.

“We want to see every building be a green building, because we all deserve to live, work and learn in environmentally responsible and healthier spaces,” said Andrews.

Other ongoing activities hosted by the Missouri Gateway Chapter include various workshops, lectures and building tours, as well as the Green Schools Quest, an innovative program we’re excited to highlight in a future blog post!

When it comes to cleaning the air in the St. Louis region, Andrews believes that green building techniques play a vital role in helping reduce emissions that lead to poor air quality.

“Perhaps the biggest connection is that all the energy used in buildings – with a few exceptions – is created by burning things, like coal or natural gas, and that creates air pollution that contributes to ground level ozone and particulate matter,” Andrews noted. “By promoting energy efficiency, we’re having a direct impact on both outdoor and indoor air quality.”

Promoting the construction of new buildings in places that have access to services like public transportation and are in walking distance to restaurants, banks, shops, etc., also has a big impact on air quality by eliminating the need for individuals to hop in their vehicles for short trips.

In addition to her work supporting environmental initiatives with the USGBC, Andrews is a co-chair of the Energy and Emissions Working Group of the OneSTL initiative and currently serves on the Forest Park Advisory Board. She also serves on another city appointed board, the Clean Energy Development Board, which oversees the implementation of the Set the PACE St. Louis program that helps homeowners and commercial, industrial and multi-family property owners access affordable, long-term financing for smart energy upgrades to their buildings.

For more information on green building and the USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter, visit www.usgbc-mogateway.org. To learn more about the link between sustainability and air quality, check out our website, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @gatewaycleanair.