Recycling Extravaganza 

The Environmental Committee teams up with the City of Overland Park to support the Overland Park Recycling extravaganza. This event offers those in the metro area a way to dispose of hard-to-recycle items in an environmentally-friendly way. 

The following items are accepted. The links included in the list below will direct you to the community partners who help with reuse and disposal of items at the event.

Disposal + Recycling

• Medications
• Electronics and small appliances (less than 10 pounds). $20 per TV. Cash or cards accepted.
• Tires (up to eight tires per visitor)

Reuse + Donate

All reuse items must be in good or salable condition when donated.

• Clothing
• Building materials – Usable project leftovers or remodel removals
• Toys
• Furniture – Usable furnishings in good condition
• Eyeglasses – Prescription, readers, or sunglasses
• Musical instruments – No pianos, organs, or drums
• Shoes
• Fabric (unused): yardage, remnants, precuts, partially completed quilt tops; notions: thread, needles, pins, scissors, cutters, mats, rulers; knitting & crochet: yarn, needles, hooks
• Bikes
• Pet Supplies (for cats, dogs, birds, rabbits and guinea pigs) – beds, food and water bowls, harnesses, leashes, collars, brushes, carriers, kennels, surgery cones, playpens, towels, blankets, cat litter, food/treats (can be opened, but must be in original packaging). Items cannot be heavily soiled/strong odors. No used litter boxes.

Friends of Johnson County Library will collect gently used books, cookbooks, textbooks, complete puzzles, CDs and DVDs.

Go Green Environmental Fair

Join us for Go Green 2024! This FREE family-friendly environmental fair will show you how taking small steps to reduce your carbon footprint at home, school and work will help the environment and save money. Local businesses and nonprofits will provide information and items to help you live a more sustainable life.

Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024  9 a.m. to Noon

Powell Community Center 6200 Martway, Mission, Kansas

Electronics Recycling:

Secure-e-Cycle will have its box truck on site for secure, responsible e-waste recycling. Residents & business owners can bring their used or unwanted electronics to be recycled for free.

Keep in mind that anything with a cord, in our home or business, can be recycled. Minimal fee charged for: TV’s - $40 each Monitors - $25 each

• Environmental products, services, & information
• Earth-loving crafts activities for the kids
• Electric vehicles

• Both fun & educational!
• Face painting and more!

Entertainment:

• Eco Elvis - 9:30 am – 11:30 am

Back by Popular Demand:

•  Educational sessions
•  Thrift Store Fashion Show

Door Prizes and Giveaways

For more information, visit Missionks.org/gogreen

In October 2021, the City of Prairie Village signed on to the City’s Race to Zero, a global campaign backed by the United Nations targeting a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The goal, through rigorous and immediate action, is to deliver a healthier, fairer, net zero carbon world for all. This is in alignment with the Paris Climate Accord goal of holding the Earth at no more than 1.5° C warming.

But what exactly does net zero emissions mean? Net zero looks at achieving an overall balance between emissions produced and emissions taken out of the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases can be removed via nature, as trees take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, or through new technology or changing industrial processes.

The Cities Race to Zero is the city-specific campaign in which municipalities commit to carbon targets that align with the specific aspects of their communities. The climate pledge is a non-binding commitment with the following components:

• Publicly endorse the following principles: recognize the global climate emergency, commit to keeping global heating below the 1.5° C goal, put inclusive climate action at the center of all decision-making, creating thriving and equitable communities for everyone, and invite our partners to help us deliver on science-based action.
• Pledge to reach net-zero in the 2040’s or sooner, but no later than mid-century.
• Explain what steps will be taken toward achieving net zero. Set an interim target to achieve in the next decade.
• Immediately proceed to planning at least one inclusive and equitable climate action that helps place us on a resilient pathway consistent with the 1.5° goal and begin implementation no later than 2022.
• Report progress annually, beginning no later than 2022.

The pledge also requires commitment to at least one inclusive climate action by each city. Those actions are: 

• Create a more inclusive society
• Create green and healthy streets
• Reduce air pollution & ensure clean air
• Develop zero-carbon buildings
• Move toward resilient sustainable energy systems
• Advance toward zero waste
• Create sustainable food systems
• Divest from fossil fuels & invest in a sustainable future
• Move Towards resilient and sustainable construction systems

Buildings are responsible for nearly 40% of greenhouse gas emissions globally, even greater in Prairie Village, and renewable energy is one of the top solutions for reducing emissions. Therefore, the Prairie Village Environmental Committee has recommended focusing on buildings and renewable energy. To determine a roadmap forward on these initiatives, a first step is to conduct a building-needs assessment to understand what it would take from a remodeling or rebuilding standpoint to achieve net-zero carbon municipal buildings and assets. 

For more about Cities Race to Zero and other climate initiatives, visit www.c40knowledgehub.org.  

Race to Zero Reporting

Each year, the City of Prairie Village must submit progress toward the goal of net zero. This is done through CDP, a not-for-profit charity that runs the global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states, and regions to manage their environmental impacts.

The City's Race to Zero report cards are available for reporting years 2022 and 2023.

2023 CDP Feedback Report

2022 CDP Feedback Report

Prairie Village, Kansas, located in the Kansas City Metro, stands as a beacon of proactive environmental stewardship, acknowledging that local initiatives can have global impacts as the world grapples with the  increasingly tangible consequences of climate change. 

The Municipal Operations Climate Action Plan serves as evidence of this belief, underscoring our firm commitment to fostering a sustainable future for our community and beyond. Prairie Village has a long-standing history of climate action, which has been fostered by generations of environmentally-conscious individuals and visionary leaders. Throughout the years, the community has remained at the forefront of sustainable practices, ranging from community-wide recycling initiatives to the development of LEED Platinum municipal buildings. This plan is designed to build upon this strong foundation and drive us forward toward a future where sustainability is not just an idealistic goal but a way of life that is
embraced by all.

Central to our strategy is the comprehensive greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory spanning 2018 to 2022. This inventory provides a detailed analysis of Prairie Village’s municipal carbon footprint, offering insights into the primary sources of emissions and highlighting areas for potential improvement. By understanding where our emissions come from, we can effectively tailor our strategies to target the most significant contributors.

The data presented in this plan is more than just numbers—it's a call to action. It underscores the urgency of our challenges and serves as a reminder that while our past efforts have been commendable, there's still much work to be done. With the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and ecosystem disruptions, the stakes have never been higher.

As you delve deeper into this document, you'll find a roadmap to guide Prairie Village toward a greener, more resilient future. This plan outlines actionable steps, sets tangible goals, and defines metrics to measure our progress. But beyond the technicalities and data, it reflects our community's spirit, ambition, and unwavering resolve to lead the way in the fight against climate change.

With the collective effort of our community, we embark on a momentous journey toward a
sustainable tomorrow, ensuring that Prairie Village serves as a sanctuary for future generations.

Download the Prairie Village Municipal Climate Action Plan (PDF)

Curbside recycling is available to residents in Prairie Village. RecycleSpot.org  is Greater Kansas City’s one-stop spot for recycling information. Mid-America Regional Council manages the website, which provides guidance on recycling as well as disposal of household hazardous waste.

Download a Recycle Better recycling guide. (PDF)

Since 2021, the City of Prairie Village, under the guidance of the Prairie Village Environmental Committee has participated in the National Wildlife Federation's Mayors' Monarch Pledge.

The Mayors’ Monarch Pledge engages cities and communities in monarch and pollinator conservation.

The annual large item pickup, which takes place over four weekends in the spring, is an opportunity for Prairie Village residents to offload unwanted junk via curbside collection. However, all items discarded through the annual pickup are taken to the landfill, regardless of their recycle-ability.

However, in 2024 mattresses in good, reusable condition (that are registered in advance) will be collected on Fridays by Sleepyhead Beds. 

At the recommendation of the Prairie Village Environmental Committee, the City Council has approved a mattress pickup and reuse program with Sleepyhead Beds, a non-profit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization that takes gently-used, donated mattresses and distributes them to Kansas City area children and families in need, free of charge.

Learn more about the mattress pickup program. 

Prairie Village encourages individual homeowners and businesses to make improvements on their properties to improve storm water quality. ‘Contain the Rain’ in Prairie Village is a reimbursement program for residents who install sustainable landscape solutions that benefit storm water - like rain gardens, native trees, native gardens, and rain barrels. Learn more

Committee History

This group of Prairie Village citizens came together to address concerns about their lack of options for conserving resources in the late 1980s. Individually and independently they shared these concerns with the City Government of Prairie Village. The City Manager at the time took the initiative and brought these citizens together.

The committee's first collective effort was a paint recycling event. People from all over the Metropolitan Area converged on the parking lot at Shawnee Mission East with partially used cans of paint in all colors which, when mixed together, created a huge quantity of beige paint. The beige paint mixture was then donated for use in painting homes in Kansas City, KS. The second group effort focused on recycling telephone books and catalogs, which was another success. After completing these two events, the group decided to initiate a Curbside Recycling Program in their neighborhoods.

In 2021, the City Council agreed to join the United Nation’s Cities Race to Zero campaign to give City staff and volunteers clearer objectives for improving the city's decarbonization efforts. Given the role the Environmental Committee will play in supporting the Cities Race to Zero effort, the Committee reconsidered its purpose to better reflect this broader scope of responsibility.

Timeline of the Environmental Committee 

1989 - Curbside Recycling Planning Pilot Begins
1991 - Recycled Paint Program
1991 - Citywide Curbside Recycling Program Begins
1996 - Official City Committee Status Awarded
1996 - Yard Waste Pickup & Retail Corrugated Collection
2001-12 - Earth Fair Partnership with S.M.E.
2002-11 - Community Forum Sponsorship
2007-11 - VillageFest Educational Outreach, “Trolling For Trash”
2008 - 1^st P.V. Electronic Recycling Collection
2009 - Shoe Collection Partnership: S.M.E. Environmental Club, Elite Feet & Soles4Souls
2010 - 1^st Composting Workshop with JOCO Extension Program 
2012 - Two Community Gardens established
2021 - City commits to Cities Race to Zero
2023 - City develops Municipal Climate Action Plan

Staff Liaison Ashley Freburg