Annual Recycling Champion Award Winners

  Individual Recycling Champion: Chris Moreland

The Surplus and Recycling Program is proud to award this year’s Individual Recycling Champion Award to Chris Moreland with the Department of Social Services (DSS). Chris has been a dedicated member of DSS since February 2025 and was nominated for his outstanding efforts in transforming his office’s culture around sustainability.

According to his nominator, Chris goes above and beyond to lead by example as the office’s biggest recycler. He is dedicated to reducing his carbon footprint and inspiring his colleagues to consider their own environmental impact.

Chris’ commitment is reflected in his proactive approach to education. He takes the time to teach his teammates about proper sorting, ensuring everyone understands what is and is not recyclable and how to recognize the difference. While he calls out occasional lapses in recycling etiquette, he always does so in a kind, encouraging manner that motivates positive change rather than discouraging participation.

The impact of Chris’ leadership extends far beyond the office walls. His team’s collective recycling efforts have led to a new charitable initiative: collecting soda can tabs to donate to the Ronald McDonald House Charities. This initiative perfectly illustrates how small, consistent acts of recycling can support a greater good in the community.

Thanks to Chris Moreland, recycling has become second nature in his DSS office, and the entire team is now more mindful of sustainability in their daily routines. 

  Team Recycling Champion: OA-FMDC "Warehouse Warriors"

This year’s Team Recycling Champion Award goes to the Office of Administration-Division of Facilities Management, Design and Construction (OA-FMDC) Warehouse Team, led by Tim Kempker. This team has truly embodied the Surplus and Recycling Program’s mission to “facilitate fiscally and environmentally responsible strategies for reuse and recycling of State property” and has set a new standard for sustainable warehouse operations.

Nicknamed the “Warehouse Warriors,” the team has taken the motto of “reduce, reuse, recycle” to a new level, showcasing how a warehouse environment can be a pioneer in innovative recycling and sustainable material reuse.

Through Tim’s exceptional leadership, the Warehouse Warriors have made it their primary mission to recycle all possible waste and significantly reduce purchasing costs by creatively reusing State property. Their comprehensive efforts have collectively saved tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars through avoided landfill disposal fees and reduced purchasing expenses.

Their impressive results from the past year include:

• Recycling tens of thousands of pounds of scrap metal.
• Recycling 25,000 lbs. of discarded carpet.
• Diverting 10 gaylord boxes of non-recyclable plastic from landfills via Waste-to-Energy programs.
• Recycling over 200 fluorescent lamps from various state buildings.
• Facilitating the refurbishment of numerous cubicle walls and workstations.
• Reusing fabric covers from cubicle frames as protective covers for furniture shipments, further reducing waste and cost.

The Warehouse Warriors—Tim Kempker, Ashley Mazza, Dennis Eggen, Sam Combs, Brody Kohl, and Rob Didriksen—are continuously demonstrating the immense value of being mindful stewards of our state’s resources.

Join us in congratulating the OA-FMDC Warehouse Team on this well-deserved recognition for their revolutionary approach to sustainability and waste reduction!

  Recycling Changemaker: Missouri State Highway Patrol "To Shed and Protect"

The Surplus and Recycling Program is also excited to introduce a new award category this year: the Recycling Changemaker. This award recognizes innovative solutions that redefine how we think about waste and sustainability. We are proud to announce the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) as the inaugural winner for their groundbreaking uniform recycling initiative.

As a security measure, all damaged or discarded MSHP uniforms must be destroyed using an industrial textile shredder. This requirement previously limited sustainable disposal options, as most clothing “recycling” relies on donation or resale.

MSHP, however, developed an innovative partnership that perfectly encapsulates the concept of a circular economy—a system focused on keeping products and materials in a sustainable loop rather than a straight path to a landfill.

By collaborating with Gateway Industries sheltered workshop in Eldon, Missouri, the shredded uniforms are now repurposed as industrial fill for products like archery targets and door draft shields.

This initiative delivers a powerful dual impact:

Environmental Stewardship: The program keeps thousands of pounds of textiles from reaching landfills.

Community Support: The effort supports Gateway Industries’ mission of employing differently abled adults, providing them a safe and conducive environment to develop valuable social and career skills.

MSHP’s program is a shining example of how creative thinking and collaboration can lead to sustainable solutions that benefit both the environment and the community.