A Sustainable Future

The City of Naperville is committed to creating a sustainable community for residents and businesses. As part of our sustainability efforts, we track key sustainability performance indicators and accomplishments. This data helps us use our resources responsibly and measure the progress of the  Sustainability Workplan .

Explore the data below to learn more about our sustainability efforts. You can also join us in creating a sustainable Naperville; check out Naperville’s  Environmental Sustainability page  to learn ways to be more sustainable at work, home, and in the community.

Naperville's power use has been dropping since a peak in 2008. The City's electricity purchases from the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (IMEA) are shrinking by an average of 1.4% annually. This drop has occurred even as the number of customers is growing. According to the U.S. Census, Naperville added 7,687 residents between 2010 and 2020.

Progress in building energy-efficiency is one reason why Naperville's electricity consumption is falling. The City offers rebates for energy-efficient building improvements such as smart thermostats, air conditioners, heat pumps, insulation, and double-pane windows. Check out the  full list of energy efficiency grant programs  to see if you qualify for assistance.

Another factor behind the reduced demand for purchased power is the rise in solar power. More solar installations were added to the grid as affordability increased in the 2010s. Residential customers are leading this increase in solar capacity. To date, over 80% of installed solar capacity in Naperville exists on residential properties. To aid in adoption, Naperville  offers a rebate to residential customers  seeking to install solar on their property.

Solar installations are a growing part of the power mix in Naperville, but at less than 1% of total power consumed in the City, their impact is still small. If you are a Naperville utility customer interested in supporting renewable energy, consider donating to Naperville's  Renewable Energy Program  which helps fund renewable energy programs in the City.

Naperville used over 1billion fewer gallons of water in 2023 than it did 2008.  This is enough water to fill Centennial Beach 175 times!  Water consumption varies from year to year, but the long-term trend indicates a reduction in water use.

Manufacturers and institutions (e.g. Edward Hospital) are the largest individual water customers in Naperville, but they are only responsible for 1% of total consumption. As a group, residential households are the largest water users, consuming two-thirds of the City's water.  Commercial businesses are the second-largest water users, consuming nearly one-third of the water.

Both residents and business are using less water.  The typical business is using nearly 12% less water than they were 15 years ago and the typical household is using almost 18% less water.  While drought and behavioral changes during the pandemic caused temporary increases in consumption, the general trend points to conservation of water.  This trend in water conservation is likely due to the adoption of efficient water fixtures and appliances, as well as more mindful consumption.

Water efficiency doesn’t stop indoors.  Install a rain barrel  to capture rainwater for use on lawns and gardens to reduce your outdoor water use.

In 2017, the  Chicago Region Trees Initiative  conducted a land cover assessment that revealed 27.4% of Naperville is covered by tree canopy, an increase from 23.4% ¹  in 2010.  This growth occurred during a period in which most private property ash trees succumbed to the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) and had to be removed.  So why did the canopy grow?  Plantings in new development account for some of the increase, but the preservation and growth of existing trees is likely the biggest contributor.

You can help grow our tree canopy by planting a tree. Every spring, the year the City hosts an  Arbor Day tree sale  where you can get a reasonably priced tree to plant on your property.

The Department of Public Works cares for 70,000 trees located along the parkways of Naperville's roads. From 2012 to 2023, the parkway canopy increased by 42%.  The careful preservation of existing trees and the thoughtful planting of new trees enabled this growth.

The preservation of ash trees is a key factor behind this growth.  Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is an insect that attacks and kills all untreated ash trees.  When EAB arrived in the late 2000s, one-fifth of the City's parkway trees were ash.  In 2012, the City embarked on a treatment program to save the ash trees.  As of 2024, the  treatment program has saved 62% of those trees .  The surviving trees have grown enough to offset the lost ash trees and increase the ash tree canopy by 5%.

The City is also protecting the canopy by diversifying the tree species.  Diversification helps to reduce the risk of a single pathogen or pest wiping out a significant portion of the canopy.  Emerald Ash Borer was such a huge threat because of an over-reliance on ash trees.  The City is now replacing ash trees with a variety of species to reduce the risk of another EAB-like event. Oak trees are still a minor part of the parkway tree canopy, but they will play a major role in its future. A particular focus on planting native trees has doubled the oak tree canopy over the past 10 years. 

Naperville residents dispose most of their waste through the  curbside garbage collection  program.  For most of the previous decade there was little change in the amount of stuff households throw out.  The exception was the pandemic, when stay-at-home orders and no recycling collection in May contributed to an all-time high curbside garbage collection of 38 pounds per household per week in 2020. Steadily decreasing since the pandemic-high, garbage volume has hit a record low of 33.3 pounds per household per week in 2023.

You can reduce your waste by taking advantage of several programs offered by the City to help residents divert waste from the landfill:

• Recycling (e.g. paper, plastic and cans) can be disposed of during  weekly curbside collection  using a City recycling cart.
• Yard waste can be disposed of during  weekly curbside collection  using a yard waste bag or cart and in bulk during the spring brush collection and fall leaf collection programs.
• Food scraps can be disposed of with a  yard waste cart .
• Electronics, which pose a significant threat to the environment, can be safely recycled at the City’s  electronics recycling facility .
• Household hazardous waste (HHW) can be dropped of at the  Naperville HHW facility  on the weekends.

Curbside recycling is the City's primary waste diversion program, but participation has been trending downward for nearly a decade. Average household recycling is down 18% since 2015. Confusion about what can be recycled may be contributing to this decline. Not sure if something can be recycled? Refer to this  guide .

Hazardous wastes such as oils, pesticides, and batteries present a threat to the environment if not disposed of properly. Naperville operates one of five  Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) facilities  in the state. The facility is open to all Illinois residents, but nearly half of the drop-offs come from Naperville.  Drop-offs have gradually increased since the opening of the Fort Hill facility as more people realize the importance of properly disposing their hazardous waste.  A fire in the State’s disposal facility forced the temporary closure of the facility late in 2022. This resulted in a sharp decline in drop-offs for 2022 and a partial rebound in 2023.

Naperville residents are adopting electric vehicles (EV) at a rapid pace. There is now one EV for every 13 households in the City ² . This is four-times higher than the overall United States EV adoption rate ³ .

It is common for EV buyers to install at-home charging stations. If you are considering installing a charging station be sure to check out Naperville's guide to installing an EV charging system which includes information on a  $500 EV charging station rebate .

The City's  sustainability workplan  sets a goal of transitioning 60% of the municipal light-duty vehicle fleet to alternative fuel sources by 2030.  While the formal goal is new, the transition began back in 2008 when the first hybrid SUV was added to the fleet. The City has since added electric vehicles and units that run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and propane. Together, these different types of vehicles are helping the City transition away from traditional fossil fuels. Recently, global supply chain issues in the automotive industry have hampered the ability to procure alternatively-fueled vehicles.

Fuel usage by city vehicles has reduced by more than 25% over the past 17 years. Adoption of alternative-fuel vehicles is a leading cause behind the reduction in fuel use. Increased fuel efficiency and a reduction in idling is also contributing to the decrease.