🌍 Happy Earth Day, Appleton! 🌱 Today, we celebrate our city's commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship. Check out some of our key affiliations and initiatives:
🌿 Sustainability Affiliations:
- 🍃 Member of Green Tier since 2010
- 🐦 Became a Bird City in 2017
- 🚗 Member of Wisconsin Clean Cities since 2022
- 🌍 Member of Wisconsin Local Government Climate Coalition since 2023
- 🌳 Named Tree City USA for the past 20 years
💡 Sustainability Implementation Highlights:
- 🔥 2011: Installed two biogas boilers at the Wastewater Treatment Plant, supplementing 55% of heating needs.
- 🔥 2019: Added a third biogas boiler, enabling the entire plant to be heated with biogas.
- 💡 2020: Retrofitted all parking ramps with energy-efficient LED lighting.
- ☀️ 2021: Installed our first solar panel array (296kW).
- ♻️ 2024: Installing waste-heat-power generators to utilize flared methane in summer months.
- ❄️ 2024: Implementing our first geothermal HVAC system.
- 💧Stormwater ponds provide flood control while improving water quality in our lakes, rivers, and streams. The City built its first pond in 1996, and now maintains an inventory of over 70 ponds.
-💧 Wastewater treatment plants play a critical role in protecting public health, preserving environmental quality, and supporting sustainable practices. Each year, the Appleton Wastewater Treatment Plant processes approximately 5 billion gallons of wastewater, converts over 100 million cubic feet of methane digester gas for heating, and recycles 25,000 tons of nutrient rich biosolids as an agricultural fertilizer substitute.
Together, we're making strides toward a greener and cleaner future. Let's continue to work hand in hand for a more sustainable Appleton! 🌎💚
@appletonparkandrec
#EarthDay #Sustainability
And you can see the full REI Impact Report Here: https://www.rei.com/impact