Shopping carts crunched beyond recognition, textured and shiny. Fused glass bottles, transformed and translucent in the changing light. A circle for zero, as in zero waste. And words of wisdom passed down and passed on: “Know what’s right, do what’s right.”
All of these elements come together in a new public sculpture that honors the life and work of Steve Apotheker. Apotheker, an environmental visionary, worked at Metro for 13 years – his last stop in a long career blazing a reduce-reuse-recycle trail at the local, state and national level. He died last year after a six-year battle with multiple system atrophy. He was 58.
On Thursday, Dec. 6, Metro Council will host a dedication for the sculpture, and for the plaza where it will live. The north plaza of Metro Regional Center in Portland was formally renamed the Steve Apotheker Plaza in a resolution passed by the council last spring.
The sculpture was created by local artists Mike Suri and Amy Wilson using products and materials – like those decommissioned shopping carts – plucked from the piles at the Metro South transfer station, where, as much as possible, materials are diverted from the landfill through reuse and recycling. Other symbolic elements made their way to a permanent home in this piece of art, like special bottles contributed by longtime co-workers, and the simple but powerful words that were posted for years outside Apotheker’s cubicle, rumored to have come from his mother: “Know what’s right, do what’s right.”
The art fits the legacy of Apotheker – his colleagues across the country have called him one of the “bedrocks of recycling”, the “guru of recycling,” the “father of recycling” in the region and Metro’s recycling “captain.”
In fact, when Apotheker came to Metro, he was already a nationally renowned recycling expert and advocate. He started building his expertise, raising awareness and establishing recycling centers in Illinois about 25 years ago. Once at Metro, he used his breadth and depth of knowledge to design and improve recycling programs across Oregon.
But recycling was just part of the Apotheker equation. He dedicated his career to resource conservation and waste prevention, connecting conservation not just with recycling but with the total "environmental footprint" of the products we all consume.
He challenged Metro to adopt policies and programs that established high expectations and strong responsibilities for industries, businesses and consumers alike. He was sought out as a policy expert on an array of issues, from collection programs to processing facilities to material markets, and was instrumental in efforts throughout the Portland metropolitan area to increase business recycling, capture more construction debris and compost food waste.
At the state level, Apotheker made a significant contribution to what ultimately became historic modifications to the Oregon Bottle Bill in the 2011 legislative session.
He also pressed Metro to be a leader within its own operations and pioneered the establishment of "green teams" and internal sustainability initiatives across Metro.
And now, along with a legacy that will impact generations yet to come, a sculpture will stand to remind us. The artwork honors Steve’s lifelong commitment to the environment, his selfless public service and the legacy of his work in the region, state and nation. And the artist team that created it fit the mission perfectly.
Mike Suri is a sculptor and metalsmith. His work explores the relationship between people and nature and can be found in public spaces and private collections along the West Coast. Amy Wilson is a multimedia artist who uses found and salvaged objects in her work. She is also a former Metro employee and was a close friend of Steve.
Learn more about Mike Suri
The dedication for the art and the plaza is Thursday, Dec. 6 at. 1 p.m. at the Metro Regional Center, 600 NE Grand Ave. in Portland. The public is welcome to attend.