Starlight’s Recycling Heroes
On March 18, the world celebrates Global Recycling Day.
Globalrecyclingday.com describes the day and its importance:
“Global Recycling Day was created in 2018 to help recognize and celebrate, the importance recycling plays in preserving our precious primary resources and securing the future of our planet. It is a day for the world to come together and put the planet first.”
This year’s theme is #RecyclingHeroes to recognize the people who include recycling initiatives in their lives and places that make it a priority.
Doing Our Part
Starlight has some recycling heroes who make sure we do our part to keep our area of the world green!
Deb Churchill, Director of Operations, and Phil Butler, Facilities Manager, identified some of the current recycling practices at Starlight, including:
- Promoting recycling in our offices and in the venue.
- Sending old uniforms to be shredded and reused in new garments.
- Managing organic recycling of yard waste
- Participating in a program with the City of Kansas City for proper disposal and recycling of fluorescent light bulbs, lubricants, and paint.
Other ways Starlight helps our community through sustainability include:
- Personal water bottles (plastic only) are allowed on event days to encourage people to use drink stations.
- Staff and ambassadors meet regularly to help clean up trash from Meyer Blvd.
- Using bio-friendly cleaning products
- Converted to 80% LED lamps
- Use of an Automated Control System (ACS) to monitor HVAC units, the audience fans, and fountains to conserve electricity
- Participation in the City’s Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan to identify potential sources of stormwater pollution at our facility and best practices to control and reduce the discharge of pollutants
Being Good Stewards
One thing many people may not know is that Starlight maintains a greenhouse and propagates as many plants and flowers as possible to use in landscaping the grounds.
Clayton Williams, Horticulture Supervisor, spoke about recycling and sustainability practices Starlight employs for landscaping, “We up-cycle, as well as recycle the plastics and different containers we use, instead of a yearly supply of contractors’ plastics. Water conservation is being achieved through an irrigation system that is monitored daily throughout the growing season. The ease of decreasing or increasing the water demands per the weather ensures conservation of resources.”
We work with nature to achieve a pleasant look and feel at Starlight. We keep our footprint to a minimum as a good steward for Swope Park.”
Clayton Williams Horticulture Supervisor
