It was a day when every resident was asked to make an effort to help recycle materials such as aluminum cans, glass bottles, newspapers and plastic items. The event received virtually no fanfare in Warren County. There is not a recycling center in this area currently. But that might change in the future. There is an effort being launched to organize county and city officials and various focus groups to create a new countywide recycling center. "Our ultimate goal is to get all of Warren County working together to determine a location, a way to do it and how to fund a county recycling center," said Jackie Stewart, who works for the Innsbrook Corporation which is helping to spearhead the effort. "It's sort of a grassroots movement in this area for our entire county." A few years ago, Warren County had a voluntary recycling center. The county commissioners said it was closed because residents abused the facility, using it as a dumping area for all trash. "We had a problem with contaminated bags," said Presiding Commissioner Arden Engelage. "People would bring bags with plastic containers, for instance, but put other items in the same bags. "The recycling company started having to charge us for (disposal of) contaminated bags," Engelage added, "so we had to shut down the facility because it ceased to be cost effective for us." Still, the commissioners said they would not rule out another venture into recycling. "I'd listen to any proposal that makes sense," said Southern District Commissioner Randy Lewis. "But it would need to be closely monitored so you don't get a lot of items dropped off which don't belong in a recycling center." The city of Warrenton also previously operated a recycling center. According to city officials, the reason it was shut down was due to an excessive volume of material such as furniture and appliances which were dropped off at the facility. Currently the city offers only a low-key voluntary recycling program, which takes place on Wednesdays for residences. Earlier this summer, city of Marthasville officials considered a plan which would have encouraged all citizens to participate in a recycling effort. No formal action has been taken on the idea. City officials said they were still collecting data to gauge the level of interest among citizens. Officials from the Village of Innsbrook might provide the proper impetus for another run at recycling, because the village knows a good bit about recycling. Through the village's "Green Initiative," two homes and one chalet have recently been certified as Gold Level Homes by the St. Louis-area Home Builders Association (HBA). Criteria for selection include products used to build the home, lot design, energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality. "Literally, it begins from the day you cut the trees," Stewart noted. The village also recycles beverage containers, promotes saving trees, and offers numerous energy-efficient home features. Innsbrook officials also use only environmentally-friendly chemicals on the resort's golf course. Recycling, Stewart said, is both a commitment to future generations as well as a way to live better today. "A lot of the battle is just about educating people on what the term "green" means," Stewart said. "It involves reducing, recycling and reusing. "At this point, we're just taking baby steps," she added in reference to the effort to educate the general public. "But it's a start." Stewart said the Innsbrook recycling effort is shared by the Warrenton-based Wilson Waste Company. "It's nice to find a company with the same initiative as what the state of Missouri is doing," said Stewart, "and what we're doing locally as well." Stewart said the group spearheading the recycling effort eventually hopes to enlist the aid of public entities such as school districts, nursing homes and assisted living facilities. "We're trying to show it's not just people who work here (Innsbrook), but people who live in Warren County," Stewart said, "and people who care about Warren County." There is also a residual benefit to the recycling effort, Stewart explained. "Think of the huge employment opportunities this could create," she explained. "We could have a mobile recycling center which would go around the county initially, then develop into a facility which could employ people on a full-time basis." In addition, any effort started in Warren County may be eligible for federal and state grant funding. But for Stewart, it all comes down to one ultimate factor. "Any decisions we make now," she said, "are decisions our children will have to live with in the future."