Chattanoogans have a lot of reasons to brag. Our residents, business leaders + officials are also killin’ it (pun intended) when it comes to helping save our planet. 🌎
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It seems like there’s always something green going on in NOOGA and we’ve got a roundup of some of the latest efforts. ⬇️
🌎 Eat REAL, GreenSpaces + restaurants
Over the past six months, local nonprofit GreenSpaces has partnered with D.C.’s Eat REAL to help local restaurants improve nutrition + implement best sustainability practices.
- Businesses get the certification after undergoing a points-based audit by third-party, registered dietitians, who evaluate menu, supply chain + operations.
- Restaurants earn points in the areas of responsible nutrition, Epicurean preparation, agricultural sourcing, leadership in environmental stewardship and other best practices.
- All locations of Lupi’s Pizza + Hummingbird Pastaria, Naked Foods, Vibrant Meals, Frothy Monkey and 1885 recently achieved Eat REAL certification.
- More than 500 other restaurant + foodservice providers have gotten the Eat REAL certification.
🌎 Ruby Falls
A jewel of the city, Ruby Falls recently won the Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Awards in the “Building Green” category lead by the TN Department of Environment & Conservation.
The awards program recognizes exceptional voluntary actions that improve or protect our environment and natural resources.
Last year, Ruby Falls underwent an environmentally sustainable transformation that included:
✅ 22,716 tons of repurposed rock
✅ recycling 75% of all construction waste
✅ expansion of open space vegetation + water conservation improvement that reduced usage by 38,287 gallons per year.
🌎 Chattanooga Airport
This month, the local airport became the first airfield in the United States to be 100% solar-powered.
We reported this, and Forbes picking up the news is a big deal.
☀️ 7. Years to complete the airport’s solar project
☀️ $5 million. Cost of the project, funded through the Federal Aviation Administration
☀️20. Years in which the investment will be returned.
