About us

Trash for Trees is a grassroots volunteer group driven by two clear objectives: cleaning up litter and planting Missouri-native trees. We establish annual trash collection goals and count each piece of trash we pick up.

In 2022, we picked up 30,820 pieces of trash and planted 20 trees; in 2023 we picked up 47,380 pieces of trash and planted 65 trees; in 2024, we have picked up 166,239 pieces of trash and planted 48 trees, so far.

Thanks to our incredible volunteers, we help keep St. Louis clean by picking up trash while meticulously recording each piece collected. Together, we're dedicated to planting native trees in order to maintain a thriving urban canopy and to ensure our roads and waterways remain clean and healthy.

Your dedication makes a difference!

Let's learn

Why do we need more trees?

The US is losing 1 tree for every 2 that we have. Currently, American urban areas are covered with about 39.4% of tree canopy. Unfortunately, from 2010-2060, these urban areas are projected to lose about 8.3% of their canopy cover (reducing it to 31.1%). (source)

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To sustain current tree canopy coverage as urban areas expand, we need to plant about 25 million trees each year in existing urban areas across the US. This equates to each urban resident planting about 7-8 trees in their lifetime. (source)

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Trees do most of their air filtration within 100 feet of themselves.

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Trees hold moisture in their leaves and release it over time, which helps to create rain.

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One mature tree in a forest can capture the same amount of carbon emissions as driving one car 1,500 miles! (source)

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One hundred mature trees catch about 139,000 gallons of rainwater per year. (source)

Benefits of planting trees

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You will attract birds and wildlife to your house, by giving them habitat and a food source.

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You will breathe cleaner air, because trees do most of their air filtration within 100 ft. of them.

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Tree canopy over your house will help to cool it during hotter months.

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Trees slow down rain water and can prevent erosion, which will lessen flash flooding.

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You’ll be fighting the heat islands of urban areas.

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You’ll be fighting climate change.

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In the US, there are about 152 pieces of trash per person.

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A trash survey, conducted by Keep America Beautiful, in 2020 found almost 50 billion pieces of trash in and on America’s waterways and roadways.

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Cigarette butts are the most littered piece of trash in the US. The filters of cigarettes contain toxic plastic waste (cellulose acetate), and only one-third of all cigarettes are thrown away. They negatively affect plant growth and are sometimes eaten by marine life. Let’s think of cigarette butts as actual trash and properly throw them away.

Water your tree each week with 5-10 gallons of water.
Water from March-October.
Water slowly. Make sure water has time to seep into the ground.
Water in this fashion the first 3 years that the tree is in the ground.
During hot months in St. Louis (May-August), water your tree 10 gallons per week (spread out over a couple days: 5 gallons on Monday and 5 gallons on Thursday).

* consider watering trees of any age during periods of drought