For our Environmental Justice Day of Action this month, we will be part of The Northside Environmental Extravaganza!

Hosted by the Garden Bridge Initiative, this celebration brings neighbors together to honor the earth and strengthen our community. Enjoy free food, free plants, and a neighborhood trash cleanup to help beautify and sustain North St. Louis.

Discover waste management strategies with City of St. Louis Recycles, join earthday365 and Trash for Trees for a hands-on trash pickup, and meet the lively composting worms from Ro’s Wigglers. Explore compost solutions with New Earth Farms and discuss clean energy and rising rates with the Sierra Club. Along the way, you’ll meet other folks in the community who share a passion for caring for the earth.

📅 Sunday, September 21st
🕒 10am - 2pm
📍Ujima (3714 Penrose St.)

Next month, we're partnering with Beyond Housing, 24:1 Cinema, MCU, Greenway Network, Missouri Stream Team, Missouri Department of Conservation, River City Outdoors, and Missouri American Water for Community Conservation Days! 

Join us on October 9, 10, and 11 for community cleanups, honeysuckle hacks, storm drain marking, and tree planting across the Normandy Schools footprint. Then come out on October 12 for a free family fishing and BBQ in Bel-Ridge! Environmental Justice is working with neighborhoods most impacted by pollution, and these events put that commitment into action. 

Sign up below! 

BIG NEWS: The Green Dining Alliance's premier event, Taste of Green, is returning for 2025!

Join us for an elevated culinary showcase of St. Louis’ most sustainable restaurants, celebrating this year's Food Waste Champions who are adopting innovative food rescue strategies all throughout October.

Enjoy hyper-local, curated hors d'oeuvres and signature cocktails prepared by several GDA certified members; designed to not only be delicious, but considerate of our planet in every step of its making. 

Adding to the evening’s excitement, we’ll feature a live DJ to set the atmosphere, a photo booth to capture your memories, and a silent auction to support the ongoing mission of earthday365 and the Green Dining Alliance.

This unforgettable night is made possible thanks to the generous support of our donors: Mighty Kind, Baileys' Restaurants, Everyday Elegance, and Feast Magazine.

Come hungry, leave inspired, and join us in proving that extraordinary dining can also be extraordinary for the Earth.

SAVE THE DATE: 
📅 Thursday, November 20th
🕒 6pm-9pm
📍Willow (321 N. 10th Street)
🎟️ Tickets are $75, $65 for members - comes with free first drink

Want to get to know others in the climate movement? 

Don’t be shy! You’re invited to our next STL Green Drinks, a monthly meetup for advocates to connect, enjoy some sustainably-made sips and bites, and build community. 

This month, we’re back at one of our favorite spots and long-time Green Dining Alliance members: Pie Guy Pizza in The Grove! With local sourcing, composting and recycling bins, compostable serviceware, and more, it makes a perfect home for our environmental gathering.

We hope you’ll join us for a slice on Thursday, September 11, from 5pm-7pm!

As you may be aware, St. Louis City recently ended alley recycling services, with plans to expand the number of drop-off centers in the future.

Our Executive Director Dr. Jess Watson discusses this issue and how our city should move forward on St. Louis On the Air. Listen here to learn about how residents have been impacted and our ideas for a better solution.

While long-term solutions are explored, we’ve published a new blog listing practical ways to keep materials in use and reduce waste in the City. Please read below!

Our waste diversion crew is excited to be back at Tower Grove Pride this year, and once again need your help keeping the event green!

We're seeking volunteers to help staff our waste sorting stations spread throughout the festival. You'll be in charge of making sure attendees dispose of their waste in the right bin: compost, recycling, or landfill, and teaching them what goes where.

Ready to lend a hand? Sign up to volunteer on either September 27 or 28 below!

Join our Green Dining Alliance Manager, Gillian Garland, as she moderates an inspiring panel discussion on the future of sustainable food production! 

From tackling food insecurity to strengthening community resilience, our panelists will share their expertise in sustainable practices, regenerative agriculture, and innovative community-based solutions that create healthier, more equitable food futures in St. Louis.

Panelists:

• Jay Valley: Executive Director & Head Chef, Field to Table Institute, St. Charles Community College
• Jena Hood: Director of Agriculture & Education, EarthDance Organic Farm School
• Vanessa Cooksey: Founder & CEO, Vested Urban Farms

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain a holistic understanding of local food system dynamics, and leave inspired to be part of the change!

Admission

• Free for earthday365 and Missouri Gateway Green Building Council members & full-time students
• $25 for non-members

Did you catch our waste diversion crew last month?

We had so much fun bringing our waste sorting stations to the Moonlight Ramble, Forest Park Forever 5K, and the Japanese Festival at Missouri Botanical Garden!

We educated around 54,000 attendees on what to compost and recycle, and can't wait to help even more folks sort their waste in September. People are so eager to learn!

There's a big month ahead of us: we'll see you at Twilight Thursdays, EarthDance Farms' Farmers Formal, South Grand Fall Fest, the St. Louis Symphony concert at Forest Park, and of course Tower Grove Pride!

Check out our new tote bags: 100% cotton, union-made, and printed locally at Brick City Printing!

These bags will be one of the prizes at both of our upcoming outreach booths:

• 5th Annual Indigenous Celebration September 6th, 8am-12pm
• Park(ing) Day. September 19th, 11am-3pm

Want one for free? Spin the wheel and test your knowledge with a sustainability trivia question!