Incentives, energy savings, tree watering instructions and more!

Sustain Louisville E-Newsletter Banner

May 17, 2017

facebook
twitter

In this issue:

Apply for a Cool Roof Rebate

The Office of Sustainability's Cool Roof Rebate Program is in need of participants located in Metro Council Districts 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 14 and 15. The program aims to help combat urban warming as identified in the Urban Heat Management StudyThe rebate provides up to $1 per square foot of cool roof.

Cool 502

 The incentive is available for new or retrofit steep-slope and flat or low-sloped roofs on residential and commercial buildings. Applications will be accepted starting March 20, 2017. Read more about the program and apply.


Register Today for May 23rd Free Training

LEA Logo

Track your building's energy use and reduce your utility bills using the skills learned at this event. 

The Louisville Energy Alliance (LEA), in partnership with Louisville Metro's Office of Sustainability, will host a free EPA ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager training session on May 23, 2017, from 1-3pm at Spalding University’s Kosair College of Health and Natural Science, 901 S 3rd Street in Room 113.

The training will include a one-hour webinar hosted by EPA ENERGY STAR followed by on-site assistance with creating Portfolio Manager accounts and entering data into the software. Attendees will learn the basic functionality of Portfolio Manager as well as how to log energy data and generate custom reports using the data. By the end of the session, attendees will have entered one year of data, have a basic understanding of the capabilities of Portfolio Manager and be one step closer to ENERGY STAR Certification.

Register Here!

Space at the May 23rd training session is limited and registration is required. 


Attend a Comprehensive Plan Forum

Develop Louisville is updating Louisville Metro’s Comprehensive Plan, Cornerstone 2020.  The plan will guide growth and development in the community for the next 20 years. The public process kicked off in August 2016 and includes sustainability as one of five key principles. Over the course of more than 100 meetings and events, draft recommendations for goals and objectives have been developed.  

Residents are encouraged to attend forums to comment on the work to date and provide ideas for policy development. The forum will be open house style where boards covering a specific topic will be set up across the room for people to move about and stay as long as they choose providing their thoughts. 

Forum locations, dates and time are as follows:

  • May 22: Main Library (301 York Street) from 4-8 p.m.
  • May 24: Southwest Library (9725 Dixie Highway) from 6-8 p.m.
  • May 30 Bowman Field (2815 Taylorsville Road) from 6-8 p.m.
  • May 31: Sawyer Hayes Community Center (2201 Lakeland Road) from 6-8 p.m.
  • June 3: The Table (1800 Portland Avenue) at 9-11 a.m.
  • June 5: Fern Creek High School (9115 Fern Creek Road) at 6-8 p.m.
  • June 6: The Jeffersonian (10617 Taylorsville Road) at 6-8 p.m.
  • June 7: Shively Community Center (1902 Park Rd) at 6-8 p.m.
  • June 17: Sir Friendly C Community Center (822 S 15th Street) at 1-4 p.m.

Water Your Newly Planted Tree Properly

Trees

Spring is here and it's time to start watering your trees now that temperatures are above 75⁰F. Here are watering tips for newly planted trees:

At time of planting:  After a tree has been properly planted, it needs to be watered immediately.

Year 1:  The first year that the tree is in the ground, it needs to be watered weekly. Enough water should be applied so that the tree receives the equivalent of one (1) inch of rainfall weekly* when temperatures are in the high 70s (°F) and above. The watering schedule should start approximately in May and conclude in October as the trees enter into dormancy for the winter months.  

Year 2:  Water the tree every other week from May through October, or when temperatures are in the high 70s (°F) and above.

Year 3:  Water the tree once a month from May through October, or when temperatures are in the high 70s (°F) and above.

*If a rainfall event produces more than one (1) inch of rain, there is no need to water the tree.  Over watering can damage the tree. Watering bags are encouraged (see photo).


Give Input: The 2017 Sustainability Summit

We need your input! The Louisville Metro Office of Sustainability and the Louisville Sustainability Council are collecting ideas and opinions for developing the 4th Annual Louisville Sustainability Summit, which will take place this fall. 

Please click here to complete the survey today!


5,050 Trees Distributed to Residents

From fall 2016 to spring 2017, the Division of Community Forestry (DCF) distributed 2,150 free trees to residents of Jefferson County in an effort to increase plantings on private property. DCF also partnered with two local non-profits, Louisville Grows and The Nature Center, to pass out an additional 2,900 free trees to the community.

Tree Giveaway

 Each tree recipient received instructions on how to plant and maintain their trees along with a species description sheet. Trained arborists and tree enthusiasts were present at each event to assist residents with species selection. DCF looks forward to offering additional tree giveaways this fall.

If you are interested in volunteering during one of the Division’s tree giveaways, please contact the Division of Community Forestry at 502-574-3927 or CommunityForestry@louisvilleky.gov. Learn more about DCF.


2,500 Bags Handed Out for Earth Month

Bag Giveaway

During eight events in April, 2,500 reusable bags were distributed to shoppers who signed the pledge to "Be a Green Shopper”. Louisville residents were educated on the detriments caused by single-use disposable bags. Individuals making pledges learned some ways to remember to bring reusable bags back the next time they shop. Thanks to Kroger's donation, shoppers were given reusable bags to use right away.  

Reusable Bag Pledge

The use of these reusable bags will eliminate more than 1,800,000 single-use disposable bags in the first year. In addition to the sheer number of plastic bags being produced - over 100 billion a year in the US alone - other reasons to use reusable bags instead of disposable plastic bags include:  

  • Single-use bags don’t biodegrade
  • Only 2% of plastic bags are recycled in the US
  • Over 12 million barrels of oil are used each year to produce plastic bags
  • A million birds and 100,000 sea turtles die every year from ingesting plastic bags

Many thanks for the support and generosity of our partners: Mayor Greg Fischer, Jefferson County Solid Waste Management District, Councilwoman Hamilton, Councilwoman Butler, Councilman James, Kroger, and the Louisville Metro Government Green Team.


Louisville's Bike Share Set-Up is Underway

Bike Share Station

Louisville’s new bike share system, called LouVelo, is coming soon! Many stations are already installed at various locations downtown, including Old Louisville and NuLu. Bike share ties together Mayor Fischer’s goals for quality of life, transportation, sustainability and wellness, along with talent attraction and retention. Stay tuned for an official announcement in the near future but in the meantime, you have an opportunity to become a founding member today!
Learn more and join today!


Donate Electric Fans and Recycle Unused Paint

Donate Electric Fans

In preparation for warmer temperatures this season, KIPDA Area Agency on Aging and Independent Living is again partnering with Louisville Metro Office for Aging & Disabled Citizens (OADC) to collect new electric fans for seniors and persons with physical disabilities.  The fans will be distributed to qualified individuals within the KIPDA region including Jefferson, Bullitt, Henry, Shelby, Oldham, Spencer and Trimble Counties.

Donations of new box fans will be collected through June 14 at:

  • KIPDA, 11520 Commonwealth Drive (Lou., KY 40299)
  • WLKY Studio, 1918 Mellwood Ave. (Lou, KY 40206)

Drop off hours are Monday through Friday; 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. for KIPDA and 8:30 a.m.- 5:30 p.m. for WLKY.

Learn more. 

Recycle Unused Latex Paint

Latex Paint Recycling

Louisville Metro Public Works and Habitat for Humanity's ReStore have partnered to accept partially full cans of latex paint for recycling. Collected paint is reblended for sale in Habitat ReStore locations in Louisville.

Collection Guidelines:

  • Only LATEX paint will be accepted.
  • Leaking, unlabeled and empty containers will not be accepted.
  • Containers with open lids or obvious cracks will not be accepted.
  • Excessively rusted containers will not be accepted.
  • Must pass the shake test - paint should move inside the container when shaken.
  • Only residential paint will be accepted. Commercial paint will not be collected.

Drop off latex paint during business hours at any of the following locations: 

Louisville Metro Staffed Recycling Centers, open Tuesday through Saturday 10AM-5PM

  • 595 Hubbards Lane, Louisville, KY 40207
  • 7219 Dixie Highway, Louisville, KY 40258
  • 7201 Outer Loop, Louisville, KY 40228

Habitat For Humanity ReStore Locations

  • 2777 S Floyd St, Tues - Fri: 10am-6pm, Sat: 9am-4pm
  • 4044 Taylorsville Rd, Mon - Sat: 9am-7pm, Sun: 12pm - 6pm
  • 1631 Rowan St, Wed - Fri: 10am-6pm, Sat: 9am-4pm

Partner Events and More

Bike to Work Day

When: Friday, May 19th
Where: From your home to your work and back

Celebrate National Bike to Work Day with your friends here in Louisville. Ride to work solo or join a Morning Meet and Ride at one of five locations. A midday celebration with vendors, prizes, giveaways, a photobooth, and more will take place at 4th Street Live from 11:30am - 1pm. 

Register for Bike to Work Day, and you will be entered into a drawing to win a free bikeYou do not have to be present to win the bike, but you do need to register.

Bike to Work Day

 13th Annual Forest Fest Music Festival

When: Saturday, May 20th, 11:30am - 7:00pm
Where: Jefferson Memorial Forest, Horine Section, 12408 Holsclaw Hill Road
Cost: Free ($10 per vehicle parking fee)

The event will feature bluegrass musicians from across the region and a variety of entertainment options for children, including live nature demonstrations and a climbing wall. Children's activities will take place during the day, beginning at noon and ending at 5 p.m. Learn more.

Public Meeting for Ohio River Valley Northeast Louisville Loop Section

When: Monday, May 22nd, 6:00-8:00pm
Where: Locust Grove, 561 Blankenbaker Lane

This third and final public meeting will be an open house format with an overview presentation of the plan at 6:00 p.m. Residents are invited to view exhibits about the project and provide feedback on the plan’s recommendations.

For more information, you can view the project website

Get Involved

The Office of Sustainability partners with the non-profit Louisville Sustainability Council (LSC). The LSC’s mission is to engage and collaborate with the community to facilitate the achievement of Louisville’s sustainability goals. The organization works to improve health and quality of life in Louisville by catalyzing community action to promote citywide sustainability. Everyone is encouraged to learn more and get involved.

four star community rating

Louisville is rated as a 4-STAR Community for its sustainability achievements. The rating was awarded in August 2015 by STAR Communities.