Growing up in Arizona, recycling was just a part of life for Kristina Basta.

It was as natural as brushing your teeth and a responsibility that everyone assumed. The cost was a small amount added to the water bill, and the recyclables were picked up with the rest of the trash.

“It was automatic. That’s just how you live,” she says. “When you grow up like that, you learn that’s what you do.”

When she moved with her husband, Tim, back to his hometown of St. Joseph two years ago, she was shocked to find there was no recycling pickup service in the city. Although it was available in smaller towns, such as Savannah, Mo., to the north, and larger cities, such as Kansas City, to the south, the only option for residents of St. Joseph was to gather up their recyclables and haul them to the recycling center operated by the city.

“At least there is some outlet for recycling,” Mrs. Basta says, “however it’s not easy when you’re busy and when you have a family, especially in the winter.”

Soon the Bastas discovered they were not alone in how they felt and an idea was born: a pick-up service for those who want to recycle, but just don’t have the time. In May of this year, the idea became a business, stjoegreen.

Pat Benedict was one of the first customers to sign up.

“It’s great,” she says. “We felt guilty every time we threw something recyclable away. I have a tendency to procrastinate and would never make it down to the recycle center as planned. And now, in a very small way, I feel we are helping our earth.”

Customers leave their recyclables in a bin at the curb once a week. The items must be rinsed out but do not have to be separated. There is no contract, and the cost is $8 a month. Customers get a month free if they have their own recycling bin or will get a free bin if they sign up for six months.

“In my eyes, more people will recycle if it’s made easier,” Ms. Basta says. “And with more people recycling, we can create a clean and healthy environment in St. Joseph.”

Although the fee is modest (stjoegreen is not yet making a profit) and the work involved minimal, the Bastas say it’s hard to get people to try something new.

“Ninety-nine percent of our customers are transplants,” Mr. Basta says. “It’s a learning curve for all of us.”

Though it’s not a new idea, the couple say.

“Look at past generations,” Mrs. Basta says. “You were raised where you used everything you had. Milk came in glass jugs. Nothing was really disposable. Really, they were better environmentalists than we are.”

The Bastas are hoping their recycling business will be the start of a much greener St. Joseph in the future. Mr. Basta works for Grenier Engineering, a structural engineering company based in Tuscon, and hopes to open an office in St. Joseph that will get into green residential and business developments using sustainable energy. Mrs. Basta’s passion is composting and gardening and she hopes to inspire more community gardens and backyard gardens.

“There’s got to be a change,” Mrs. Basta says. “There has to be a different way of life for our children. It’s something that if you can do, you should.”

For more information on curbside recycling pickup, e-mail stjoegreen@gmail.com or call 646-0062. For information on the St Joseph recycling center and services, call the landfill division, 253-9764, or the public works administration at 271-4653.

Lifestyles reporter Sylvia Anderson can be reached at

sylviaanderson@npgco.com