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Green team outlines 2025 focus on waste reduction, dark-sky work, and river cleanup
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Summary
Olivette’s green team and Parks & Recreation department described accomplishments and laid out a 2025 emphasis on waste reduction in parks, participation in the Green Business Challenge, pursuing dark-sky work and organizing river and greenway cleanups.
Members of Olivette’s green team and Parks & Recreation staff reported on recent accomplishments and set priorities for 2025, emphasizing waste reduction and recycling improvements in parks.
Commission staff explained the department’s participation in the Green Business Challenge, a program run through the Missouri Botanical Garden that supports sustainability practices among businesses and municipalities. Staff said Olivette Parks and Recreation entered the challenge as a department (not as the full city) and has assembled a green team with commissioners, staff and citizens to assemble accomplishments for a regional booklet that highlights sustainability work.
For 2025 the green team’s priorities include improving recycling and waste-reduction at parks and events; coordinating volunteer cleanups on the new Greenway and select streams (the “River to River” cleanup was discussed); and pursuing International Dark Sky measures for parks with guidance from a commissioner who has been researching the certification process. Staff also noted an energy audit of the 5 Oaks building and other departmental sustainability actions.
Commissioners asked staff to organize volunteer trash pickups (aimed at spring initially) and to recruit commissioners to help with outreach and volunteer enrollment. Staff will continue to compile one-page updates for newsletter content and coordinate cleanup dates with existing volunteer groups.
