With its stunning landscape and abundance of outdoor recreational activities, Chattanooga has long been known as an outdoorsy city—but its connection to the environment runs deeper than hiking trails and riverfront views. Chattanooga boasts a variety of sustainability practices and environmental initiatives that both protect the city’s natural beauty and provide benefits to Chattanooga residents. Here, we’ll dive into just a few of the eco-friendly innovations that the Scenic City has implemented over the years.
Waste Diversion
The City of Chattanooga has two initiatives for keeping waste out of the landfill: recycling collection and the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility.
Chattanooga offers biweekly curbside recycling collection to households and businesses in the city. Recycling containers are free of charge, and residents can request them by signing up online or calling (423) 643-6311. Each location is allowed up to two recycling containers, and information on which materials can be recycled is available on the city’s website.
The Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility gives Chattanooga residents a way to dispose of common hazardous materials, keeping them out of the normal waste stream which can be harmful to the environment. Hazardous waste includes materials that are:
- Toxic and poisonous: This includes materials that can cause injury or death by ingested, inhaled, or absorbed by the skin.
- Corrosive: This includes materials that can eat away at other materials or through living tissue.
- Reactive: This includes materials that result in explosions or toxic fumes when exposed to air, water, or other substances.
- Flammable and combustible: This includes materials that present a significant fire hazard and may undergo spontaneous combustion at low temperatures.
Residents can drop off hazardous waste at the facility Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. A state-issued driver’s license must be presented while dropping off any hazardous materials.
Sustainable Transportation
Along with diverting waste, Chattanooga offers two sustainable transportation options: Bike Chattanooga and the downtown electric shuttle.
Bike Chattanooga offers an easy and fun way to traverse the city for residents and tourists alike. With 450 bikes and 42 stations across the Chattanooga area, Bike Chattanooga offers different pricing options with a one-day pass for $10, a three-day pass for $20, and an annual pass for $50.
In 1990, the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) began using electric buses for Chattanooga’s downtown shuttle. This eco-friendly shuttle is free to the public and offers daily rides starting at the Chattanooga Choo Choo and ending at the Tennessee Aquarium with a stop at every block in between.
These sustainable transportation options give locals and tourists multiple ways to traverse the city while also reducing their carbon footprint.
Reducing Energy Consumption
Chattanooga also has a variety of eco-friendly initiatives geared towards reducing energy consumption, benefiting the environment and reducing costs for the city’s residents.
- EPB Home Energy Checkups: EPB, one of Chattanooga’s primary energy providers, offers free Home Energy Checkups that can help residents make their homes more efficient and more comfortable. A member of EPB’s team will conduct an in-person analysis of your home and provide a report on how you can cut down energy usage.
- EPB Solar Share: Launched in 2017, EPB Solar Share allows residents to lease solar panels and receive credits on their monthly energy statements based on the amount of power generated by their solar panels. While the EPB Solar Share is currently sold out, interested supporters can sign up for availability updates.
- Empower Chattanooga: Sponsored by EPB, United Way of Greater Chattanooga, and TVFCU, Empower Chattanooga offers in-person and virtual workshops detailing no- and low-cost ways to reduce utility bills. Most participants notice a 5 to 25% drop on their bills after taking one class.
RainSmart Rewards Program
Chattanooga’s RainSmart Rewards offers four different programs designed to support sustainable land management practices focused on stormwater mitigation. While these programs help prevent stormwater runoff, they also offer reimbursements and credits for Chattanooga residents. The city’s programs include:
- RainSmart Rain Gardens: Rain gardens are innovative infrastructure systems that help collect stormwater runoff using amended soils and native plants. Chattanooga residents can build a rain garden at their home and be reimbursed for up to $2,000 per property.
- Rain Barrel Reimbursement: Rain barrels are used to capture and store rainwater, which can later be used to water gardens, wash cars, and much more. Residents can install an approved RainSmart Rain Barrel and receive a reimbursement of $50 per barrel with up to 10 barrels per property allowed.
- SupportScapes: This program encourages residents to replace turf, invasive plants, and bare soil with native plants to promote better water quality, support local biodiversity, and protect the city’s ecosystems. Residents can be reimbursed for 75% of rebate-eligible costs up to $1000 per property.
- RainSmart Yards: Residents are eligible for 25%, 50%, or 75% off their annual stormwater fee if awarded a bronze, silver, or gold RainSmart Yards award. Details for earning each award can be found on RainSmart Yards’ website.
For more information on Chattanooga’s RainSmart Rewards, head to the city’s website.
Clear Chattanooga
Clear Chattanooga began work in 2013 after the City of Chattanooga entered a consent decree with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the State of Tennessee, and the Tennessee Clean Water Network (TCWN). The goal was to create a plan to significantly reduce sanitary sewer overflows and improve the operations of Chattanooga’s sewer system.
With outdated wastewater infrastructure, heavy storms can quickly overwhelm the system, leading to sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs). SSOs pose a threat to public health as well as to the environment. Clear Chattanooga’s 3R approach (restore, repair, replace) will update the Moccasin Bend Environmental Campus to mitigate the chance of SSOs.
Through this two-phase initiative, Clear Chattanooga hopes to protect the community’s water quality, decrease water-related environmental threats, and preserve and protect the city’s natural environment.
A Greener Chattanooga
These are just a few of the many ways Chattanooga is working toward a greener, more sustainable future. From reducing energy consumption to improving waterways and more, the city’s commitment to environmental stewardship continues to grow—ensuring Chattanooga and its natural environment will be protected for generations to come.
Ali Lemmons, BS, Summa Cum Laude
Ali Lemmons is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication with a minor in computer science. While at UTC, Ali also earned the distinction of Summa Cum Laude, the Outstanding Senior Award for the communication department, and was inducted into the Kappa Tau Alpha honor society. Now, as editor/digital content specialist for CMC Media & Marketing Group, Ali leads the ideation, conceptualization, and development of numerous health, wellness, and lifestyle articles published in print and online for HealthScope, CityScope, and Choose Chattanooga magazines – premier publications serving S.E. Tennessee and North Georgia. She also is the lead copywriter for the company’s social media accounts. In her free time, Ali enjoys exploring Chattanooga’s many hiking trails and searching for the best burger in the city.
