MEET LIV
Liv moved from the top recycling state in the country (Maine) to the 19th (Missouri) in 2022. She’s aiming to help the St. Louis region adopt safer and more environmentally friendly practices one recycling bin at a time.
The results are in! See who became 2024’s Sustainable Star.
Okay, okay – we know it’s cheesy.
You still want to cast your vote, right?
We do have one more award left for our talented contestants…
PEOPLE'S CHOICE
Cast your vote for your favorite contestant!
THE RESONANT RECYCLER
THE CARDBOARD CRUSHER
METAL MIKE
CARTON CATHY
PLASTIC PATTY
ORIGAMI OLIVIA
Thanks for participating in Sustainable Stardom 2024!
Make sure you really EARN your newfound title, okay?
Study up with the below resources and go out and make the world a better place.
We’re proud of you.
GLASS
Ripple Glass has recently expanded from their headquarters in Kansas City to our region. Look for purple bins located in Eureka, House Springs, Maplewood, and Webster Groves to recycle items like candle jars (leftover wax is okay!), cosmetic bottles and jars, windows, tabletops with hardware removed, and other glass food and beverage containers. Items collected are used to create fiberglass.
EUREKA | MAPLEWOOD
HOUSE SPRINGS | WEBSTER GROVES
PLASTIC BAGS
Do something good with that plastic bag full of other plastic bags (we all have them!) under your kitchen sink – next time you stop at your local grocery or discount store, look for a collection bin near the entrance. Plastic bags and film (including Ziploc, bubble wrap, produce bags, and more) can usually be recycled here as long as they’re in clean, dry condition. A much better solution than continually feeding the monster in your kitchen cabinet.
GROCERY AND DISCOUNT STORES
BATTERIES
150,000 tons of batteries get thrown into landfills every year – Catalytic Innovations and GoRecycle want to reduce that by making battery recycling easier. They offer recycling kits ($39.99 - $64.99) for homes and businesses. Collect spent batteries in your collection box and send that box directly to the Catalytic Innovations recycling facility (they’ll cover shipping!) From there, your batteries will be repurposed into new batteries or even micronutrients for plants.
ANY LOCATION
HEY, SPEAKING OF PLASTIC BAGS…
These guys might be docile and innocent hanging out in your pantry, but they’re MENACES to recycling plants everywhere! Keep them out of your curbside recycling bins – they can tangle the equipment and put a halt to the entire recycling sorting process. Heed our warning and recycle them properly (scroll up just a few inches to learn how if you missed it). Our planet and our recycling plant workers thank you!
Plastic bags and plastic film continue to wreak havoc in recycling plants everywhere – get the story from our trusted correspondents Luke Blazor and Liv Maddix:
Feels like we know Liv from somewhere… hm. Anyway, only YOU can keep recycling plants safe from these devious plastic masterminds. Sounds like a perfect job for our Sustainable Star, no?
