2007 Green Heroes

Jordan Jaco
Elementary School Student

Bob Solger
Business Owner

Matt Diller
Classroom Teacher

Sam Simmons
Saint Louis Zoo
Buildings and Grounds Supervisor

Sam Simmons separates recyclables in the Saint Louis Zoo’s
materials recovery area.

Sam Simmons

Sam Simmons does his demanding job with a quiet, unassuming manner. He is the mid-level manager responsible for maintaining cleanliness around all Zoo grounds and buildings. He manages all the operational equipment, processes and staff needed to keep these important systems running. One of Sam’s systems is the outstanding Zoo recycling program, which annually diverts tens of thousands of pounds of material from the waste stream.

Sam is personally invested in making recycling work at the Zoo. Wherever you walk when you visit the world-famous Saint Louis Zoo, you will find a well-marked recycling bin paired with each trash can. Sam knows it’s crucial to make recycling so convenient that visitors experience recycling seamlessly integrated with all the other services they enjoy - and with the conservation message Zoo educators and curators work hard to convey.

Behind the scenes, Sam is in charge of an orderly recycling processing area where Grounds staff members sort all types of plastic, glass, and metal containers, office paper and cardboard. It’s very unusual to have what recycling professionals call a “material recovery facility” inside an institution like the Zoo, but Sam’s system for handling recyclables is efficient and cost-effective, ensuring the economic success of Zoo recycling efforts. Sam also oversees the Zoo’s off-site composting of all animal manure and bedding.

Sam will be the first to tell you that recycling at the Zoo is a team effort – and it is! What his co-workers will tell you is that Sam, a former NBA athlete, is a championship coach and cheerleader for this “green” team, and he can jump in and play just about any position needed in the recycling lineup. Leading by example, Sam’s dedication to making recycling work motivates dedication in fellow employees from his Grounds Crew staff to the Zoo’s top management.

In a large institution like the Zoo – which runs like a self-contained little city – every employee, volunteer and visitor has to be aware of the importance of recycling and make good use of the collection systems to make it work. Sam continually advocates for investment in good bins and signage to make recycling super-convenient for visitors and staff alike. Couple with the efficient “backstage” recycling sorting and storage area, this system has grown into one of the best examples of everyday environmental stewardship not only in the St. Louis region, but among cultural institutions nationwide.

Sam’s colleague on the Zoo Recycling Committee, Education Director Louise Bradshaw says: “Sam is all about service to others. He coaches, he’s very involved in his church and in community activities. At the Zoo he’s always ready to help out. He’s excited about making recycling work, and he gets his staff excited about it too. Sam truly embraces the Zoo’s conservation ethic. His work helps the Zoo be true to our mission, inside and out!”

The St. Louis Green Hero Award is sponsored by:

EarthWays Center

The St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District

The Healthy Planet