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So you want to be more sustainable, but you have questions about just how to do that? The Garden’s Sustainability team is here to help with the Green Resources Information Service!

The Green Resources Info Service from the Garden’s Sustainability team answers your sustainable living questions and offers Green-To-Go Talks for adult audiences. We give a personalized response drawing on our networks, knowledge base and our research skills. Green guidance offers options plus perspective to help you decide about what you’re seeking.  

Common types of questions are:  
Who can I call to provide this service? 
Where can I get this product? How can I responsibly dispose of this? 
Are these claims really “green,” or is this “greenwashing?” 

Here’s intel from our top five question topics. 

Recycling 

• What can I recycle? Recycle Responsibly – Stick with the Six! Put only these six types of items into your home recycling bin: paper, flattened cardboard, plastic bottles and containers, glass bottles and jars, metal food and beverage cans, and food and beverage cartons. Not sure if you can recycle an item? Local recycling guidance is clear: Not on the list – not in the bin! And When in doubt, throw it out! If there’s too much going into your landfill trash, we can help you evaluate your purchasing choices. 
• Where can I recycle other stuff?
  St. Louis City Recycles maintains a terrific database of options to recycle or donate material “beyond the Blue Bin” – check it out! 
• Can plastic bags be recycled?
  Yes – but no bags in your recycling bin!
  Plastic bags get stuck in machines at recycling sorting plants, shutting down the whole operation. Save up your bread, produce, dry cleaning, grocery-store and other kinds of plastic bags and take them in a bag o’ bags back to the store.
  Every chain of grocery, home improvement and big box stores has bins to recycle plastic bags, usually right near the store entrance. Plastic bags are made into composite lumber for outdoor decks, railings and benches; they’re important to recycle – in the right place. 

Energy: Efficiency and Renewables 

• How can I go solar? Get at least three bids from companies that specialize in residential solar power systems. We can recommend installers, based on our experience and customer inputs. Get a basic idea with a simple solar calculator like www.solar-estimates.org. Renewables are a fast-growing industry where costs, incentives, and services change. Don’t skimp on the research! Every dollar you invest in energy efficiency can knock $2-5 off the cost of installing a renewable energy system, so go for super-efficiency as part of your solar plan. In you can’t install, consider a Community Solar subscription, where your electric bills support a community-scale installation. 

Native Plants! 

What’s the best way to learn about native plants?
Of all the green living questions we field, this has the easiest answers. Dig into our terrific regional native plant program, Grow Native! This superlative, vivid site includes planting plans, plant lists, landscaping service professional contacts, webinars, in-person events, Gardens of Excellence examples – and much more. You can also watch videos presented by Partners for Native Landscaping.

• Where can I get native plants?
  Shop at local garden centers. Many now have native plant specialists on staff. Big box stores don’t carry native plants because they source stock from wholesale growers who supply entire store chains, nationwide. Native plant species are locality-specific. Many local organizations host spring and fall native plant sales. Don’t miss the biggest and best one, the Shaw Wildflower Market, the first Friday and Saturday in May. 
• I’d like to bring native plants into my yard, but I don’t know how to start.
  Start small, by creating a native island in your lawn. This will grow into a lively focal point, especially if you’re planning a pollinator garden, so be sure to consider how you use and enjoy your yard. Explore GrowNative.org to get a design and plant list right for your site. Is it sunny or shady, wet or dry? Would you like to attract and support hummingbirds? Butterflies? Do you have to contend with munching deer? Once you have your plan defined, based on the nature of your site, lay out your garden hose in a simple pleasing shape. Dig a line around it, and remove the turf inside that line. Don’t add any chemicals, but you can add in a little compost with each plant. Water this garden for 4-6 weeks while the plants get established, then augment rainfall only if we get into a drought. Mulch around the new plants and hand-pull weeds when they appear. For lots of color the first year, seed in some easy to grow annual flowers; zinnias are great if you have full sun. 

Want to learn more? Check out this blog on native plants and pollinators from the Garden’s Center for Home Gardening.

Rainscaping

• How can I find out how Rainscaping might work for my yard? Rainscaping is any combination of plantings, water features, catch basins, permeable pavement, and other activities that manage storm water as close as possible to where it falls, rather than moving it someplace else. The Rainscaping section of the Garden’s website describes these options, with questions to help evaluate your site. Most Rainscaping strategies rely on native plants, so you get the biodiversity benefits of native gardening too. Explore this site with your place in mind to see which options best fit your situation. Ask our Green Resources team your specific questions, by phone or email. 
• Can I get help covering costs for a Rainscaping project? Depending on your location in our area, you may be eligible to apply for cost-share project support from the Deer Creek Watershed Alliance or a rainscaping grant from MSD Project Clear. Applicants are required to attend a Rainscaping Orientation, which is a great way to get the big picture and details about choosing Green Infrastructure. 

Composting 

• How can I compost at home? There are composting options for everyone! A simple compost pile or container works well for a house with a yard. For a serious gardener, a three-bay composting system will support serious compost use. Apartment dwellers: consider vermicomposting in a worm bin. You can contract with a local compost pick-up service. Ask us for referrals! Compost gets at the rotten truth, with a sense of humus. 

We hope you consider using Green Resources Info Service. You turn to the Garden’s Plant Doctors for expert gardening guidance and now you know you can turn to the Garden’s Planet Doctor when you need help with any aspect of sustainable living.

Reach out to the Green Resource Answer Service!
Email your questions to greenresources@mobot.org or call 314-577-0246. Check out our our lists of FAQs and current topics for our Green-To-Go public talks.
And come to the Green Living Festival, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 1 at the Garden. Learn more about the Green Living Festival. >

Jean Ponzi 
Green Resources Manager, EarthWays Center