City of Knoxville - Sustainability in the City of Knoxville

GROWING ECONOMIC PROSPERITY THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Office
Policy & Communications Department
City County Building, Room 655
Phone: 865-215-2029
Fax: 865-215-3035
Sustainability@cityofknoxville.org

Susanna Sutherland, Sustainability Program Manager
ssutherland@cityofknoxville.org
City County Building
Phone: 865-215-4430

Jake Tisinger, Sustainability Coordinator
jtisinger@cityofknoxville.org
City County Building
Phone: 865-215-2065

Recycling Events

Sustainability Blog

Downtown Recycling Survey

Community Energy & Sustainability Survey

INTRODUCTION

Sustainability is the ability to meet our current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. This requires cooperation between sectors and long term thinking.

Regardless of varying personal views on environmental issues, conserving resources and energy makes sense on a basic level: it saves money and positively impacts our health.

Integrating best practices for sustainability into how the City of Knoxville does business is driven by logic and economics. Does it make sense for our community? Will it improve our quality of life? Is there a funding source available?

Your feedback is always welcome and appreciated as we continually strive to improve.

GUIDING DOCUMENTS

Knoxville's Energy Inventory: Government and Community Analysis and Strategic Plans (Click here to view report PDF) provides a detailed one year snapshot of energy use in Knoxville.

Six volunteer work groups formulated content for the City's Energy & Sustainability Work Plan. Click here to view the current Work Plan in PDF format.

City Selected as Outstanding Green Achiever

RESOURCES

Sustainable Purchasing Guide [PDF]
Citizens Guide to Sustainability [PDF]
Air Quality [PDF]
Energy Conservation [PDF]
Land Use [PDF]
Recycling [PDF]
Sustainable Food [PDF]
Water Conservation [PDF]

CURRENT PROJECTS

AMERESCO
- RFQ [PDF]

Education
- Brown Bag Green Book

Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant Program (EECBG)
- Activity 1 [PDF]
- Activity 2 [PDF]
- Green Building Incentive Program
- Green Building Incentive Documents [PDF]
- Activity 3 [PDF]
- Activity 4 [PDF]
- Activity 5 [PDF]
- Activity 6 [PDF]
- Activity 7 [PDF]
- Budget [PDF]

Electric Vehicles
- Level 2 Charging Specs [PDF]
- Level 3 Charging Specs [PDF]
- ECOtaliity Long Range Plan [PDF]
- ECOtality Implementation Strategy [PDF]

HUD Sustainable Communities Grant
- Knoxville Application [PDF]
- Plan East TN Summary [PDF]

Recycling
- Recycling Analysis - Spring 2009 [PDF]
- Recycling Phone Survey - Spring 2009 [PDF]
- DSM Environmental Services Presentation [PDF]
- Backyard Composting
- Battery Recycling
- Computer Recycling
- Curbside Recycling Program
- Map of Recycling Centers

Solar America Cities Program

ENERGY INVENTORY AND WORK PLAN DEVELOPMENT

Task Force Mission and Members

Task Force Meeting Documents

Task Force Working Groups
- Community Involvement
- Energy
- Goods & Services
- Infrastructure
- Sustainable Growth
- Transportation

LOCAL RESOURCES

Beardsley Community Farm
City of Knoxville Greenways
Discover Life in America
East Tennessee Clean Fuels Coalition
Find a Local Farmers' Market
Green Village Green
ICLEI's Cities for Climate Protection
Ijams Nature Center
Keep Knoxville Beautiful
Knox County Green Team
Knoxville Bike Routes from Google
Knoxville Chamber Green Business Recognition Program
Knoxville-Knox County Food Policy Council
Knoxville Permaculture Guild
Knoxville Recycling Coalition
Smart Trips
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
Support Green Power in the Tennessee Valley - TVA/KUB’s Green Power Switch
Take the Energy Star Change a Light Pledge
Tennessee Clean Water Network
US Green Building Council - East Tennessee Chapter
UT Make Orange Green

SUSTAINABILITY IN THE PRESS

01/10/12 - Only a Few Months Left for Green Rebate Program

12/02/11 - City Awarded Rooftop Solar Challenge Grant

12/01/11 - Apply for City's Green Building Incentive Program

11/23/11 - City's New Curbside Recycling Program is Off to a Great Start

11/10/11 - America Recycles Day in Knoxville Nov. 12

11/01/11 - East Tennessee Medications Collection Event

10/14/11 - Knoxville's Curbside Recycling Program Applauded by Governor Haslam and the Beverage Industry

10/11/11 - Solar Tour Oct. 22

09/30/11 - Knoxville Residents Get Ready to Do Your Part, With The Cart

09/20/11 - City Launches Green Building Incentive Program

09/09/11 - Knoxville Named A Model City for New Recycling Program

09/09/11 - Cart Roll Out Event Celebrates Curbside Recycling

08/29/11 - Solar Hot Water System Donated to Renovated Home

08/26/11 - Mayor Hosts Cart Roll Out Event Celebrating Curbside Recycling

07/18/11 - Unwanted Medicines Collection Event July 23

07/13/11 - City Curbside Recycling Signup Event July 23

07/08/11 - Electric Vehicle Charging Station Ribbon Cutting July 14

06/08/11 - Natural Gas Vehicle Workshop Set for June 15

06/06/11 - Mayor Brown Signs Up for Curbside Recycling

06/02/11 - City Curbside Recycling Sign Up Event June 11

05/25/11 - Curbside Recycling Sign Ups Hit 10,000

05/20/11 - Nearly 9,000 Have Signed Up for Curbside Recycling

05/10/11 - City Honored as Outstanding Green Achiever

05/02/11 - Sign Up for Curbside Recycling Now

04/28/11 - Arbor Day Celebration at Ijams Nature Center Apr. 29

04/21/11 - Celebrate Earth Day at Knoxville Zoo

04/21/11 - New Household Recycling Campaign Launches

04/14/11 - City's Solar America Cities Program to Close

04/08/11 - Knoxville's EarthFest Set for April 16

04/05/11 - Brown Bag Green Book Discusses Nuclear Energy

03/22/11 - Green Buildings for Cool Cities Tour Mar. 26

03/18/11 - Greenway Recycling Program Launches Mar. 21

03/16/11 - Ribbon Cutting at City's First EarthCraft Renovation Certified Home

03/15/11 - City Hosting Meetings for New Curbside Recycling Program

03/14/11 - Brown Bag Green Book features Southern Alliance for Clean Energy

03/11/11 - City Holds Open House for First EarthCraft Renovation Certified Home

03/07/11 - City Sponsors Medications Collection Event March 19

03/03/11 - Downtown Tree Plantings Start March 7

03/03/11 - SEEED Meets with Mayor Brown

02/25/11 - Urban Wilderness Challenge Set for April 16

02/22/11 - Electric Vehicles Forum

02/08/11 - Learn About Extreme Weather at Brown Bag Green Book

01/13/11 - City Council Approves Tree Inventory

01/12/11 - Brown Bag Green Book Looks to the Future of Earth

01/12/11 - Plug Into Your Community Recycling Events

01/11/11 - Recycle Your Old Phone Books for a Real Deal on Zoo Admission

01/06/11 - Computer Recycling Events This Month

01/03/11 - It's A New Year of Brown Bag Green Book

12/27/10 - Helicopter to Deliver Inverter for Solar Array on Convention Center

12/22/10 - New Transit Center Officially Named

12/20/10 - Transit Center Naming Ceremony

12/14/10 - Phone Book Recycling Poster Contest Winners

12/09/10 - Bredesen Announces Enhancement Grant for New Knox County Greenway

11/29/10 - Waste Vegetable Oil Collection Program Now Available

11/24/10 - City of Knoxville and CAC AmeriCorps Volunteers Organize a Work Day

11/04/10 - Brown Bag Green Book Gets Diverse

10/26/10 - Unwanted Medicines Collection and Used Mercury Thermometer Exchange Oct. 30

10/18/10 - City Receives Division of Forestry Grant

10/15/10 - Knoxville Awarded HUD's Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant

10/05/10 - Knoxville Named Bicycle Friendly Community

08/23/10 - One Lane Henley St. Closed to Install Solar Array on Convention Center

08/16/10 - Solar Hot Water Installation Training Workshop Sept. 1

08/16/10 - Clean Commute Day is Friday

08/13/10 - Knoxville Station Holds Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

08/13/10 - Brown Bag Green Book Series Gets a Little Wild

08/12/10 - Efficient Energy of Tennessee Installs One Megawatt Solar Array in Knoxville

08/10/10 - City Installs Solar Hot Water System Through Housing Program

07/26/10 - City to Launch Pilot Recycling Program Downtown

06/25/10 - Knoxville Prepares for Electric Vehicles

04/19/10 - Mayor Kicks off Earth Week with Solar Event

02/05/10 - City Awarded Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant

02/05/10 - City Seeking Contractor for Solar Photovoltaic Array

01/21/10 - Brown Bag Green Book Panel to Discuss Water Management in East TN

01/15/10 - Knoxville Welcomes the Nissan LEAF

01/04/10 - Computer Recycling Events Scheduled for Jan. 9 and 23

12/30/09 - City Council Approves Energy Services Agreement with Ameresco

12/17/09 - Let's Conserve Together - A Lighting Study

12/10/09 - Curbside Recycling Program Presented at City Council Workshop

05/27/09 - City's Solar Program Partners with Knox Heritage

04/30/09 - Downtown Green Power Initiative Reaches Goal of 400 Blocks Sold

04/22/09 - City Releases Report of Energy Use and Emissions

02/26/09 - Brown Bag - Green Book: New Lunch and Learn Series

02/25/09 - Preparing for a Flood of Energy Efficiency Spending (NY Times)

02/20/09 - Work with renewable resources may bring federal funds to Knox (KnoxNews.com)

12/18/08 - City to Become Part of a Model City Recycling Initiative

12/18/08 - KUB Earns the ENERGY STAR for Superior Energy Efficiency

12/11/08 - Knoxville's First Group of Gold-Certified LEED Houses Opening

11/06/08 - City to Hire Energy Management Company

10/24/08 - City Kicks off Solar America Cities Project

06/30/08 - City of Knoxville Celebrates First Energy Star-Certified Home Projects

05/01/08 - Make Downtown Green, Block for Block

03/28/08 - City Named Solar America City, Receives $200,000 Grant

03/28/08 - View City's Solar America Cities Application [PDF]

03/25/08 - Groundbreaking for "Green" House

12/14/07 - City's Energy & Sustainability Task Force Releases Report

12/06/07 - New Knoxville Transit Center to be LEED Certified

12/05/07 - City Replaces Traffic Sgnals with Energy Efficient LEDs

12/03/07 - New Downtown Recycling Center Opens

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