News & Events

Zero Waste Month Spotlight: CircularSTL

Details

Published on Monday October 7th, 2024

Author: Anna Chott, East-West Gateway Council of Governments

On September 24, CircularSTL hosted a symposium at Cortex to showcase initiatives that support a circular economy in St. Louis. A circular economy is one in which products are less resource intensive and 'waste' is recaptured as a resource to manufacture new materials and products. You can be part of the solution and eliminate waste that is littering and piling up in our region's alleys, streets, landfills, and waterways! You can make a difference by supporting many local organizations that allow you to compost and reduce wasted food; participate in community clothing swaps; give a second life to used sports gear; and switch to and advocate for reusable options over single-use cafeteria trays and other serveware.

The CircularSTL Symposium highlighted organizations that are innovating to reduce waste and make sustainability ‘fun.’ For example, Perennial’s Community Clothing Swaps offer opportunities to donate and take home new-to-you clothing, putting a stop to the enormous amount of waste from ‘fast fashion’ and diverting more than 1,000 pounds from the landfill per swap. Passback is a 501c3 startup that collects and refurbishes surplus sports gear and redistributes it, creating a circular economy for sports gear and textiles. Colin Hale shared how CannonDesign is building toward a circular economy by designing buildings for deconstruction and reuse. Morph Bags identifies waste materials (such as excess material from diving equipment or flags) and makes it into products like bags and yoga mats. Ripple Glass offers drop off bins for around St. Louis that can accept all types of glass for recycling, including candles, drinking glasses, windows, and even broken glass. Their model addresses the fact that glass is difficult to handle and sort in single stream recycling. (Unlike other materials like aluminum - 75% of aluminum ever produced is still in use, due to recycling!)

Food waste was highlighted as an important resource and opportunity. Sustain-a-Plate works with grocery stores to reduce food waste and simplify inventory management. In one case study, they reduced the time one grocery store spent tracking expiration dates from 2 days to instantly. Show-Me Green Schools programs work with an incredible number of schools that are reducing their food waste and growing their own food. The OneSTL Food Waste Diversion Committee is working on a regional Food Waste Prevention and Recovery Plan. New Earth Farm contributes to these collaborative efforts and education, alongside their operation of a community composting program that offers drop off bins and pickup services (with two new electric vans!). In 2023, the Green Dining Alliance’s Food Waste Challenge engaged 8 restaurants and over 250 employees to divert over 17,000 lbs of food waste from landfills. The challenge is now recruiting restaurants for October 2024. 

Reuse was also presented as a solution to build a circular economy. Earthday365 has provided grants to Pershing Elementary and Bayless Schools for reusable cafeteria trays. Reusable trays not only reduce waste, but can also replace polystyrene single-use trays, which are associated with health concerns. The ending keynote speaker Mike Martin, founder of r.World, has spent his life making events greener and found that reuse is the ideal environmental solution for events. Martin pointed out that the reusable options they offer have the lowest climate impact of any option for live events; single-use aluminum cups have a higher climate impact even than single-use plastic.

October is Zero Waste Month, an opportunity for you to make a change to reduce your waste, join with these organizations to have an impact - and have FUN!

September 24, 2024 Sustainability Lab @ T-REX

Details

Published on Monday September 9th, 2024

Save $ with Solar

Tuesday, September 24, 2024
3:45pm-5:00pm Presentation & Discussion (join in person or on Zoom)
5:00pm-6:00pm Networking (in person only)

Join in Person:
T-REX (911 Washington Ave. in downtown St. Louis)
Sharptooth Boardroom (5th Floor)
Plan your trip using public transit here.

Register and Join on Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAlf-2tqj0sGdFBcTx1tDpmLizht1yhnmwk

At this Lab, we will hear from a local school, church, and municipality that have installed solar, and the financial and other benefits they have seen. By learning from each other, more organizations can realize the financial savings, climate resilience benefits, and educational opportunities offered by solar energy. This event is a great opportunity for entities who are considering solar to meet and learn from a peer that has completed a project, and for all who are interested in learning more. Speakers will include:

• Mayor Brian K. Jackson, co-chair of 24:1 Municipal Partnership and mayor of City of Beverly Hills
• Susan Zareh, teacher and founding member of the green committee at Forsyth Elementary School
• Darian Wigfall, Executive Director of St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Click here to save this event to your calendar. 

Drive Electric Week Spotlight: Why I Chose an EV for My Next and Only Car

Details

Published on Sunday September 8th, 2024

Author: Jim Jordan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo credit: CNET. CNET asked industry experts if it was cheaper to charge an electric vehicle vs. fueling a gas-powered car, and theses are the results they found.

 

My name is Jim Jordan and I have been an electric vehicle (EV) owner since 2017. My first EV was a Nissan Leaf (~100 mile range) and it was one of two vehicles I owned. In late 2022, I wanted to go down to just one vehicle, an EV only. I needed an SUV to transport a chair and other equipment. I purchased a VW ID.4 in the spring of 2023. There were very few EV SUV’s available in early 2023 because of supply chain delays. The ID.4 was the only one I knew would be eligible for the Federal Tax credit of $7500 as it was built in a new VW plant in Chattanooga, TN. It cost ~50,000 before the $7,500 tax credit. Comparable SUVs were about the same price. (This may not be true for sedans.) So with the tax credit, it was actually cheaper. 

 

Many people feel a need for an internal combustion engine (ICE) car for long trips, but it did not make sense to own two vehicles. Sixteen months later, I have no regrets, and with quick chargers now prevalent along interstates, I will travel to upstate NY and back in October without any issues.

 

There are three ways to “fuel” an EV. Using a home charger (level 1 – 110 v and level 2 – 200v) costs about one-third of gasoline (see the image above). If I use a quick charger (DC fast charge) it is about equivalent to purchasing gasoline. My ID.4 has a range of ~250 miles/charge. There are also a host of free level 2 chargers at cultural institutions and municipalities throughout St Louis. I also have solar panels so I charge my car mostly with photons! As Ameren adds more renewable energy in Missouri and Illinois, all cars powered by electricity will have a lower carbon footprint. It is estimated that the ID.4 fuel economy is around 31 kWh=100 miles. It costs about a gallon of gas to charge 33 kWh, which puts the ID.4 at around 100 mpg efficiency, compared to a Subaru’s 25mpg.

 

According to Ameren Missouri, electric vehicles can save drivers up to $1200 annually. This is because there is no need for oil changes, air filters, tune ups, etc. There are fewer moving parts and components to break or need replacement. All you need is a battery check every year, monitor brakes and ac/heater unit. I feel I save closer to $500/year, because I only drive ~10,000 mi/year. (While there is the potential for savings, costs will vary depending on each situation. Keep reading to learn about a calculator to estimate how much you could save.)

 

So, my EV is a hands down winner in all areas – fuel costs, maintenance, original cost and less carbon emissions (remember I charge with mostly solar produced electricity). I also have an all-electric house that uses 85% solar-produced electricity for both my car and abode. Mid July – mid August my total energy bill was $60 (over $12 was for fees and taxes). I bet your gasoline powered car used more than $60 for the month! 

 

You can estimate how much you could save annually with an electric vehicle using an online calculator available for Missouri and Illinois. Then you can find out more about which vehicles qualify for federal tax credits: $7,500 back on new electric vehicles, and $4,000 back on used electric vehicles. In addition, EV buyers can use the credits to effectively lower the vehicle’s purchase price by having it act as a payment on their vehicle at the point of sale. Be advised, not all vehicles qualify, so you should do your research or talk to an expert to make sure you are making an eligible purchase.

 

Drive Electric Week is Sept 27-Oct 6. This is the perfect time to learn about electric vehicles, whether they are right for your next car, and how much you could save. A local Drive Electric event in Troy (in Madison County, IL) offers an opportunity to talk to EV owners about their experience. You can also talk to electric vehicle owners on the St. Louis Sustainable Backyard Tour, which happens every summer. I have hosted the tour at my home, and you can find other EV owners near you who want to give a tour and show off their vehicle.

 

Photo credit: Jim Jordan. Jim Jordan feels that his EV is a hands down winner and has no regrets about going electric.

August 27, 2024 Sustainability Lab @ T-REX

Details

Published on Thursday August 8th, 2024

Healthy & Climate-Resilient Homes

Tuesday, August 27, 2024
3:45pm-5:00pm Presentation & Discussion (join in person or on Zoom)
5:00pm-6:00pm Networking (in person only)

Join in Person:
T-REX (911 Washington Ave. in downtown St. Louis)
Sharptooth Boardroom (5th Floor)
Plan your trip using public transit here.

Register and Join on Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUld-6grD8iEtC6y0UDiSHjGg2OMXQNPNpx#/registration

At this Lab, Sunni Hutton from Tenants Transforming Greater St. Louis (formerly Homes for All) will be sharing about their Home is Where our Health Is report. This report was intended to develop a comprehensive understanding of the code enforcement process and present solutions to prevent renter displacement and reduce negative health outcomes from lead, mold, and pest infestations. Recommendations included in the brief include preparing buildings for the effects of climate change. While this study was done in the City of St. Louis, other governments can replicate the collaborative approach with community partners to seek systems change when it comes to sustainability, vacancy, and other areas.

Click here to save this event to your calendar.

Success Spotlight: The Wedge Innovation Center

Details

Published on Wednesday August 7th, 2024

Author: Emily Hemingway, Executive Director, The Wedge

 

 

 

 

Photo: A rendering of The Wedge Innovation Center, to be housed in the renovated Wedge Bank.

 

The Wedge Innovation Center is a world-class, social impact center of innovation with coworking and offices for startups, businesses, and tech located in the heart of Alton, Illinois. The Wedge is part of a $30 million revitalization project that involves renovating the Wedge Bank and Elfgen buildings, incorporating sustainability features such as bike storage and showers, rooftop patios with greenery, street trees, and electric vehicle charging. To encourage bicycle access, the Wedge is located close to Madison County Transit's Confluence Trail, with future plans to extend the trail all the way to The Wedge.

Coming this winter, the Wedge is partnering with regional leaders to launch MAIN, the Midwest AI Network, a new 501(c)(3) that will also host a think-tank and Artificial Intelligence research lab in the Wedge Innovation Center. MAIN will serve as a public-private partnership striving to foster ethical AI leadership, front-line data innovation, and emerging technology collaboration between universities, startups, and industry leaders to drive the development of world class sustainable communities across the 8 Midwest states (Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota). MAIN Labs will be focused on cloud storage and is not anticipated to have a substantially different energy output from other innovation spaces not focused on AI.

By hosting MAIN at the Wedge, our goal is to position the American Midwest as a global hub for artificial intelligence and sustainable communities by advancing cross-sector research, promoting economic growth through ethical data innovation, and fueling emerging technologies across the 8-state footprint.

With other tenants and projects at the Wedge around health data, broadband access, and food hubs, the Metro East community will have a front-row position on building sustainable rural communities through collaboration and ingenuity.

Upcoming Climate Fresks

Details

Published on Tuesday August 6th, 2024

Author: Kyle Crawford, OneSTL Communications Team

If we don’t communicate differently about climate change, we won’t notice the magnitude of our predicament until it's fundamentally too late. I am an educator by degree and profession and have found the learning structure of a Climate Fresk to be an approachable and effective exploration for almost anyone. The card game is creating a visualization of the often dense data published by the IPCC, the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. An example of what is created in this group-sourced tabletop card play is pictured here.

Research about effective communication about climate change is advancing, and NNOCCI (the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation) offers a research-based climate change communications training program. However, Climate Fresks differ from NNOCCI's training because they empower each person to evaluate what they know and discover what they don't know.

Over a million people all around the world have been through this cause-and-effect group exploration, and the experience is different every time. Every one of those participants were right when they entered the room and remained right when they left. This is not an effort to persuade. It’s a physical experience involving game play to feel the deeper context and inter-related systems that ultimately stem from and will force a shift in human behavior. 

Learning more about what’s being impacted, both on the inherited planetary level and to our local community where we have the most agency, is the point of a Climate Fresk. You can play this game for FREE at one of these upcoming events:

• August 18th - 1:30pm to 4:30pm - University City Public Library - Registration here
• September 1st - 1:30pm to 4:30pm - University City Public Library - Registration here
• September 15th - 1:30pm to 4:30pm - University City Public Library - Registration here
• September 29th - 1:30pm to 4:30pm - University City Public Library - Registration here

Can you think of a situation that could benefit from this learning together in an intentional, guided, and fun way? Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to explore where else to host Climate Fresks! Other public spaces? The workplace? Bars? It's been hosted in all these places and more around the world!