A Sustainable Holiday Season is the Gift That Keeps on Giving

While living a more sustainable lifestyle is a great goal to have when thinking ahead to resolutions for 2024, holiday celebrations present a special opportunity to ring in the season with a more modest footprint. Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s alone, waste production jumps 25%, adding an extra one million tons of waste to landfills each week. 

Though that may come as a shock, there are many ways to combat unnecessary waste and help keep the festive spirit alive. The more people that work to save energy and resources during the most wasteful time of year, the bigger the impact that can be made. Here are some tips to keep in mind to make going green a new treasured holiday tradition: 

  • Think Globally. Buy Locally. – Whether you’re heading to the mall or local family-owned shop for last minute gift shopping, remember the less you have to drive, the better for the environment. Additionally, if you’re planning to host a festive holiday feast this year, consider shopping for sustainable produce from your local farmers. Not only does local organic food taste better, but you’ll also be doing your part for the community and the planet. Likewise, consider swapping out disposable plates, cups, napkins and silverware for your favorite set of dishes this year instead to take green dining one step further.
  • Travel Sustainably – Greener holiday travel starts before even leaving the house. The more weight trains, planes and automobiles have to carry, the more fuel they use, and the more harmful greenhouse gases are emitted into the atmosphere. So, be conscious of how many extra items overall you are packing to lighten the load and help keep the air quality in healthy ranges. If you’re traveling to visit family by your own personal vehicle, routine maintenance steps like checking engine performance and keeping tires properly inflated are ideal ways to help reduce emissions and fuel consumption. Traveling by bus or train are also great options that can offer a certain level of convenience, particularly if the weather and roads are bad along your route. 
  • Properly Dispose of Your Tree If your holiday includes a tree, and you opt for an artificial one, box it up once the season is over and save it for years to come. When you finally need to get rid of it, do your best to recycle or donate it to help avoid the hazardous landfill. For real trees that still have the root ball attached, consider re-planting it in your yard after the holidays; otherwise, dispose of the tree at a composting or chipping facility in your neighborhood to do your share for cleaner air. St. Louis City residents can take their bare holiday tree to one of three, self-service drop off locations (Forest Park, O’Fallon Park and Carondelet Park) to be recycled December 26th through January 9th. 

A few small changes to go green for the holidays can make all the difference in helping people across the region breathe easier. To learn more about the link between living greener and our air quality, visit the Clean Air Partnership’s website, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @gatewaycleanair. 

Spotlight On: Saint Louis Art Museum

Founded in 1879, the Saint Louis Art Museum is a world-renowned fine arts museum known for its outstanding and comprehensive collection spanning 5,000 years of cultures and genres. The Clean Air Partnership is pleased to recognize Saint Louis Art Museum’s air quality-friendly efforts that earned them the esteemed title of St. Louis Green Business Challenge Champion last year for completing work with the Leader scorecard and committing to continued implementation of deeper sustainability strategies. 

“The Saint Louis Art Museum continually values the St. Louis Green Business Challenge as a guide to achieve our sustainable goals,” said Maria Kveton, Museum Event Manager and Green Team Leader at Saint Louis Art Museum. “Having access to free tools such as the Virtual Brown Bag seminars and GreenBiz Tracker allows the Art Museum to connect with peers and learn about local green vendors and sustainable initiatives, and it helps us better track and report our efforts.” 

During the 2022 Challenge, the Saint Louis Art Museum replaced air handling units in its east main building to qualify for energy rebates and continued to retrofit lighting to energy-efficient LEDs in all Museum buildings. Doing so not only cut down on light pollution but also conserved up to 80% more energy than traditional lighting, such as fluorescent and incandescent bulbs. Additionally, by putting all hot water pumps into a loop system with frequency drives, the Museum helped to save energy by controlling motor speed and output, as well as further reduced energy consumption through improving domestic hot water system flow and heating the water with boilers instead of electricity to improve air quality. 

Last but not least, the Museum’s Green Team organized various eco-conscious events and activities, including an air quality-friendly volunteer litter cleanup in Forest Park for Earth Month, a virtual brown bag with recycling updates from the St. Louis City Recycles team, and a Green Living Festival Pop-up with the EarthWays Center of Missouri Botanical Garden that featured festival exhibitors in Sculpture Hall, a tour of the Art Hill flower gardens led by staff of Forest Park Forever, Museum docent tours highlighting works of art made with discarded or reused objects, and a presentation on eco-criticism by art curator Amy Torbert. They also established a checklist to reduce waste at future Museum events. 

For more information on the green efforts underway by the Saint Louis Art Museum and how your organization or municipality can get involved in the Challenge, subscribe to the bi-monthly E-Newsletter or visit stlouisgreenchallenge.com, To learn more about the link between sustainability and air quality, explore the Clean Air Partnership’s website, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @gatewaycleanair. 

Spotlight On: The City of Webster Groves

As the Clean Air Partnership continues to spotlight local municipalities committed to practicing sustainability, we are pleased to recognize Webster Groves for its dedication to implementing green strategies to maintain and improve a lasting quality of life for present and future generations, while retaining and improving its beautiful natural resources and environment. 

A proud participant in the 2022 St. Louis Green Cities Challenge, Webster Groves prioritized Phase 1 goals from its “Forever Webster Groves” Sustainability Plan developed by the Sustainability Commission, which will light the path to a sustainable future for all who live and work there. This plan provides objectives, methods and actions to tackle short- and long-term strategies to address environmental changes, strengthen sustainability and build a community of responsible stewards. 

“Connecting with other cities in the Challenge has been a source of inspiration,” said Jamie Hasemeier, Sustainability Commission Chair for Webster Groves. “Folks are doing remarkable things and the willingness to share their process and successes is beyond valuable. The Green Cities Challenge helps to create the spirit of collaboration, where connections are made, shared and valued. To work in sustainability requires one to have a healthy dose of hope. Being a part of the Challenge helps put that hope into action.” 

Among the city’s other impressive accomplishments to receive recognition in the Challenge was the introduction of new bike lanes and “sharrows” – which are road markings used to indicate a shared lane environment for bicycles and automobiles – during its Webster On Wheels (WOW) community bike event. The new lanes provided a three-foot buffer between pedestrians and the driving lanes to amplify safety measures and encourage residents to cycle more around their community. Additionally, the city participated in several community-wide events to hand out reusable bags to residents and discuss the many benefits of reducing plastic usage, which also largely benefits the region’s air quality. 

Moreover, city events like the “Pumpkin Smash” collected rotted pumpkins for composting following the Halloween holiday to help create nutrient-rich soil and reduce the amount of harmful methane gases that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. To further reduce environmental impact, the city also analyzed next steps for increasing electric vehicle charging availability and reducing energy consumption, as well as prepared ways to benchmark greenhouse gas emissions for city buildings. 

The Clean Air Partnership is pleased to recognize the efforts of municipalities like Webster Groves that continue to take action for cleaner air. For more information on the sustainable efforts underway by Webster Groves and how your organization or municipality can get involved in the Challenge, subscribe to the bi-monthly E-Newsletter or visit stlouisgreenchallenge.com. To learn more about the link between sustainability and air quality, explore the Clean Air Partnership’s website, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @gatewaycleanair. 

Giving Thanks for Cleaner Air

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, it’s a special time to come together with family and friends for a delicious meal and reflect on the many things to be grateful for. Unfortunately, this time of thankfulness tends to also become a time of wastefulness, as studies show that people living in America produce 25% more waste during the holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. 

As we plan out all the dishes that will be on our tables this year, it’s important to consider the impact that certain holiday traditions have on the planet and commit to greening dining festivities. That’s something for which everyone can be thankful, but it’s particularly meaningful for children, older adults and those who suffer from lung diseases that make them especially vulnerable to poor air quality. 

Start by sourcing as many of your ingredients as possible locally to help reduce emissions produced by transport trucks. The less your produce has to travel, the less waste is produced, and the smaller the environmental impact. With so many loved ones gathered at the table for Thanksgiving dinner, it’s also not uncommon for regular plates, cups, napkins and silverware to be swapped out for disposables. Instead of buying tableware for one-time use, opt for your favorite set of dishes this year since small changes can lead to a much bigger effect, helping to keep the region’s air quality in healthier ranges. 

With the holiday season also comes the spending season, where so many take advantage of can’t-miss deals this time of year. For those who want to shop but avoid the lines, Cyber Monday offers all the benefits of Black Friday shopping but from the comfort and convenience of your home, creating a stress-free experience that helps reduce environmental impact and improve air quality. Keep in mind that consolidating your online orders to one store also eliminates the need for excess packaging. Moreover, if you’re planning to purchase any electronics or appliances, go for the best green alternatives by checking for the ENERGY STAR® mark. ENERGY STAR-certified products use less energy than standard models, ultimately saving money on utility bills while helping to protect the environment and clear the air. You can also make sustainable purchase decisions by choosing products made from eco-friendly materials, such as organic cotton or recycled plastic, or buying an experience to gift. 

This Thanksgiving, when counting life’s blessings and listing those things to be grateful for, don’t forget to add clean air to the list. And thank you for all you do so we can all breathe easier. To learn more, visit our website tips section at www.cleanair-stlouis.com, like the Clean Air Partnership on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @gatewaycleanair. 

Spotlight On: MTM, Inc.

Headquartered in Lake Saint Louis, Mo., MTM is a medical and transportation management company whose mission is to partner with clients in developing innovative solutions for accessing healthcare, increasing independence, and connecting community resources in the most cost-effective manner. MTM demonstrates a strong commitment to sustainability and actively takes steps to reduce its carbon footprint and make a positive impact in the community. Last year, MTM earned the esteemed title of St. Louis Green Business Challenge Champion for completing work with the Leader scorecard and committing to continued implementation of deeper sustainability strategies.

“At MTM, initiatives related to sustainability and protecting our environment are the threads weaving our existence,” said Alaina Maciá, President and CEO of MTM. “We think carefully about our approach to sustainability, and we are proud to lead the transportation industry in mitigating the impacts of climate change through more sustainable transportation solutions. We have a long way to go, but we’re taking significant steps to reduce our carbon footprint and make a positive impact on our industry, and our Earth as a whole, as we seek to make transportation more sustainable for future generations.”

During the 2022 Challenge, MTM implemented a new transit per diem incentivizing staff to utilize public transportation or rideshare services as an alternative to car rental while traveling for business, which helps to reduce the number of vehicles on the road and largely benefits air quality. As an added bonus, the company offered a travel training program with partners like Metro Transit in St. Louis and other U.S. public transit agencies to educate riders on using these public services safely and effectively. MTM also conducted a social media and internal campaign to gain valuable insight on what employees love most about telecommuting and how it supports sustainability efforts.

Other noteworthy accomplishments include an update to the headquarters roof with a heat-reflecting, white silicone coating and installation of a higher efficiency air conditioning system. To further reduce waste and environmental impact, MTM introduced water bottle filling stations and provided employees with glass water bottles and reusable coffee mugs. Several staff members committed to practicing sustainability outside the workplace as well by participating in Earth Month activities and plastic-free challenges, eating more vegan meals, completing at-home energy and waste audits and more.

The Clean Air Partnership is pleased to recognize the efforts of businesses such as MTM, Inc. that continue to take action for cleaner air by channeling their time and energy towards practicing sustainability. For more information on the sustainable efforts underway by MTM and how your organization or municipality can get involved in the Challenge, subscribe to the bi-monthly E-Newsletter or visit stlouisgreenchallenge.com. To learn more about the link between sustainability and air quality, explore the Clean Air Partnership’s website, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @gatewaycleanair.

Spotlight On: The Village of Glen Carbon

As the Clean Air Partnership continues to spotlight local municipalities utilizing innovative approaches to create environments with cleaner air and educate their residents on the importance of leading a greener lifestyle, this month we’re pleased to recognize the great work underway by the Village of Glen Carbon.

Located just 14 miles northeast of the City of St. Louis and home to nearly 14,000 residents, Glen Carbon continues to pursue various strategies to be a more sustainable community and uphold their rich tradition of being a great place to live, work and play. In 2022, the Village received the Award of Achievement in the Green Cities Challenge, where participants advance their green efforts by implementing a sustainability policy and practicing fundamentals, including addressing measures defined by OneSTL, the regional plan for sustainable development.

“The Green Cities Challenge has provided us with the opportunity and resources to enhance the environment and quality of life for the residents of Glen Carbon,” said John Slosar and Chris Krusa, co-chairs of the Glen Carbon Cool Cities Committee. “We are grateful to the organizers and co-participants in the Challenge for their help in making Glen Carbon a greener and healthier place to live.”

Among the many accomplishments that helped earn Glen Carbon recognition in the 2022 St. Louis Green Cities Challenge is the expansion of its community garden and Mayor Marcus’ Tree Giveaway that distributed 500 conservation-grade, bare-root native species trees to Glen Carbon residents and local elementary schools. The Village also received a Trees Forever grant to plant 14 new native trees in area parks, which significantly benefits outdoor air quality by releasing oxygen into the atmosphere.

Moreover, Glen Carbon worked to develop an ordinance requiring electric vehicle (EV) charging stations that not only help to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels but also reduce harmful carbon emissions. The Village’s five-person Cool Cities Committee meets once a month and promotes city-specific action plans such as this that are designed to reduce global warming pollution and improve quality of life for residents and the planet. Additionally, the Village began investigating the possibility of a prairie restoration at Greenspace East, which covers 80 acres between Old Troy Road and Route 159 with 9,500 feet of asphalt trails designed for air quality-friendly activities like walking, hiking and jogging.

For more information on the sustainable efforts underway by the Village of Glen Carbon and how your municipality can get involved in the Challenge, subscribe to the bi-monthly E-Newsletter or visit stlouisgreenchallenge.com. To learn more about the link between sustainability and air quality, explore the Clean Air Partnership’s website, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @gatewaycleanair.

Reflecting on the 2023 Air Quality Forecasting Season

Air quality forecasting was extended through the mid-point of this month after an abnormal summer. While the season began with news that the St. Louis region had once again escaped being ranked among the top 25 most-polluted U.S. cities, it’s still clear we struggle with unfavorable air quality here in the bi-state area. Despite the fact that air quality may not be top of mind when the temperature outside cools down and ozone pollution levels in the region drop, it remains extremely important to continue the fight for cleaner air all year-round.

A look back over the past several months reveals that our air quality took a hit earlier in the forecasting season than usual as we experienced a record-breaking heat wave with temperatures exceeding 100 degrees and the heat index topping 110+ degrees for six days in a row. That now ties the second-longest streak of extreme temperatures in the region’s history. Additionally, high ozone days and spikes in particle pollution due to Canadian wildfire smoke that caused some of the worst air quality ever in New York and other U.S. cities also negatively impacted St. Louis’ air quality several days this summer. These factors largely contributed to the 14 orange air quality days and singular red day in the region where conditions were unhealthy for sensitive populations, including children, older adults, people who work or exercise outdoors, and those with existing lung disease or cardiovascular disease.

From the beginning of May through Oct. 15, green was the dominant color with 77 days where the air quality was good, followed by 76 yellow or moderate air quality days. While this is positive news overall for the region, there is still much work to be done in the long-term quest for cleaner air to protect our local communities from the growing risks to public health resulting from increased levels of ozone and particle pollution. The Clean Air Partnership encourages area residents to remain steadfast in their efforts to take voluntary steps to reduce ozone-forming emissions 365 days a year, such as taking transit, carpooling, telecommuting, avoiding vehicle idling, not topping off your gas tank and combining errands into a single trip. Together, we can continue to make great strides in improving the quality of the air we all breathe!

Air quality forecasting will resume in May 2024. In advance of that, individuals can sign up to receive the color-coded daily forecasts if they are not already getting them via their email inboxes or text through the Environmental Protection Agency’s EnviroFlash air quality alert system at CleanAir-StLouis.com.

To learn more about the health effects of poor air quality and tips for doing your share for cleaner air, visit the Clean Air Partnership’s website, like us on Facebook or follow @gatewaycleanair on Twitter.

Spotlight On: Missouri Botanical Garden

Founded in 1859, the Missouri Botanical Garden is the nation’s oldest botanical garden in continuous operation and a National Historic Landmark. Serving as a center for botanical research and science education, as well as an oasis in the city of St. Louis, the Garden seeks to inspire and educate area residents about the benefits of being good environmental stewards through responsible and sustainable use of natural resources. The Clean Air Partnership is pleased to shine a spotlight on the Missouri Botanical Garden for its noteworthy green achievements and innovations that are having a positive effect on the environment and helping clear the air in the region. 

During the 2022 St. Louis Green Business Challenge, the Garden earned the esteemed title of Challenge Champion for completing work with the Leader scorecard and committing to continued implementation of deeper sustainability strategies. The Garden also elected to develop and report on their Champion Innovation Project – Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center Showcases Sustainability and Biophilic Design. 

“Missouri Botanical Garden is proud to focus on the Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center as our Champion Innovation Project,” said Glenda Abney, Vice President of Sustainability for the Missouri Botanical Garden. “Years in planning, this gracious new doorway and welcome to the Garden was supported by over $100 million in private donations. The building and grounds embody the Garden’s commitment to sustainability through accessibility, design and presentation and operations.” 

As part of this project, Missouri Botanical Garden optimized their building envelope and mechanical systems to ensure comfort while reducing annual energy costs by 23% from standard technologies. The Garden installed a 220-kWh solar array rooftop in addition to six, free EV charging stations with 10 chargers to promote the use of alternative transportation modes other than gasoline-powered cars. The Garden also implemented new digital displays and electronic ticketing within the new visitor center to reduce the waste of print materials, fulfilling grant requests and internal conservation goals.  

To further reduce environmental impact, the Garden introduced underground cisterns holding 50,000 gallons of rainwater for filtration and sanitization, eliminating municipal-source water treatments for building plant irrigation, as well as low flush and low flow fixtures to reduce building potable water demand by 32%. As a result, indoor and outdoor water management is expected to meet 86% of total site demand, saving an annual average of 679,392 gallons of municipal water use. Additionally, the Garden has planted some 30,000 new specimens and continued the practice of rainscaping plantings, allowing for them to retain 30,000 additional gallons of stormwater on-site. 

For more information on the Missouri Botanical Garden and 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.

Spotlight On: The City of Edwardsville

As the Clean Air Partnership continues to spotlight local municipalities utilizing innovative approaches to create cleaner, greener environments where constituents can live, work and learn, this month we’re pleased to recognize the City of Edwardsville for their long-term commitment to sustainability that shapes city operations and future planning. 

Located just 20 miles outside of the City St. Louis and home to nearly 27,000 residents, Edwardsville has rolled out a number of programs and resources to improve sustainability. For example, the city’s Single-Use Bag Fee Ordinance requires a 10 cent per bag fee for disposable plastic and paper checkout bags at all retail businesses greater than 7,000 square feet to help reduce waste and build a more sustainable community. Since plastic bags are produced from non-renewable resources that are non-biodegradable and difficult to recycle, they often end up as litter in the community and natural environment. And while paper bags are recyclable, they take large amounts of water and energy to produce.  

Additional green improvements that helped earn Edwardsville recognition in the 2022 St. Louis Green Cities Challenge included the construction of a new, environmentally efficient fire station in the heart of the city’s growing eastern corridor. The station features solar panels to offset electricity costs and emissions released into the atmosphere, radiant floor heating to more efficiently and quickly warm bays and dry wet equipment, and bi-fold bay doors that open and close in about a third of the time to speed up emergency egress and limit building heat loss.  

“It is important for every community to pursue sustainability, but as the County Seat, the home of the largest university in the St. Louis region, and the nexus of a growing bicycle pedestrian movement, Edwardsville is uniquely positioned to be a leader in reducing energy consumption, harmful vehicle emissions, and single use waste, while transitioning to more sustainable practices,” said SJ Morrison, 4th Ward Alderman for the City of Edwardsville. 

Moreover, the Good Dirt Community Garden completed its first growing season at Meyer YMCA where community members grew their own vegetables and learned about the importance of composting, which largely benefits air quality. The city also passed two green ordinances – one allowing EV charging stations in all zoning districts and guiding compost bin/pile placement on residential property and the other to ensure that new and redeveloped properties will install lights that do not illuminate above a horizontal plane to reduce light pollution. Lastly, the city held its first ever Trail Summit with Madison County Transit for community leaders to discuss where they want connections in their communities and approved a Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan to promote air quality-friendly ways to get around town. 

For more 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 stlouisgreenchallenge.com. To learn more about the link between sustainability and air quality, explore the Clean Air Partnership’swebsite, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @gatewaycleanair.

Take Action for a Waste-Free World and Cleaner Air in Celebration of World Cleanup Day

On Saturday, September 16th, World Cleanup Day will unite volunteers, governments and organizations in 197 countries and territories to tackle the universal mismanaged waste crisis and to help create a new, more sustainable world. A powerful “green wave” spanning across the globe will harness the power of millions of people taking positive action on the same day, bringing together the global community to raise awareness and implement true change to achieve a one shared goal – a clean and healthy planet. 

Wherever you are in the world, the actions you take for World Cleanup Day in your local community can have a huge impact. Grab a pair of gloves, a few trash bags and organize a cleanup event yourself if there are none close by. If you opt to go this route, invite family and friends to participate and register it as an event here, as every single person’s contribution to the activity counts toward the global total. 

Area residents inspired by World Cleanup Day are encouraged to further make a commitment to practice simple, waste-reducing habits moving forward in all aspects of daily life that are aimed at bettering our environment and the quality of the air we breathe. With that in mind, here are some helpful tips to consider for incorporating green into your day-to-day routine:  

  • Nix Bottled Water – Did you know that up to 80% of single-use water bottles in the U.S. never get recycled? Not only does the production of plastic water bottles contribute significant amounts of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, but their litter lingers for years on end. Consider buying a reusable water bottle to take with you on the go and refill as needed to cut down on unnecessary waste and help improve air quality. 
  • Reduce Waste/Conserve Energy at Home – Swapping out incandescent light bulbs with LEDs, putting timers on lights and investing in smart power strips can help to avoid excessive electricity use. While reducing and reusing are the most effective ways to save money and natural resources, recycling is another vital piece of greening your home by helping to keep waste out of landfills and turning glass, paper, plastic and other items into new materials. Also, consider setting up recycling bins in your home and purchasing recycled products to help clean the air.

  • Go Paperless When Possible – There are many places where you can opt out of paper, whether that be credit card bills, receipts or even your favorite household cleaning products. Paper towels, for example, may be useful and convenient but collectively contribute to deforestation and an ever-increasing waste problem. Signing up for online banking, opting for email versions of receipts, printing on both sides of a sheet or using the back side of old documents for scrap paper are other resourceful ways to reduce paper waste.  

For more great tips on how to achieve cleaner air year-round, visit the Clean Air Partnership’s website, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @gatewaycleanair.