Climate and Sustainability

Roeland Park has been, and continues to be, a leader on important actions that promote sustainability and make a real difference in environmental issues. This page is a resource and directory of Roeland Park's actions. 

RESIDENTIAL ENERGY AUDIT INCENTIVE PROGRAM

To support our efforts to reduce carbon emissions City-wide, the residential energy audit incentive program will rebate up to $400 of a home energy audit performed by a qualified contractor. 

Residential Energy Audit Incentive Application and list of Qualified Energy Auditors

SOLAR ENERGY 

Roeland Park has installed solar panels on City Hall, the Community Center, and the Aquatics Center that generate substantial amounts of clean energy.

Roeland Park offers a dashboard to track the energy generated from the various solar installations. Those dashboards can be found below:

Community Center Dashboard: Click Here
-City Hall Dashboard: Click Here  
-City Hall Carport Dashboard: Click Here  
-Aquatic Center/Pump House Dashboard: Click Here

The latest electric bill savings from solar panels on all city facilities can be found here. A comparison between estimated and actual energy savings for all facilities can be found here.

Recycling 

Roeland Park residents have access to a recycling pick-up program. Recycling is an important component to sustainability and Roeland Park is proud to offer such a program. 

To see more about what can be recycled, view this flyer. 

More information about recycling and waste programs can be found here.

Ripple Glass curbside recycling

The City of Roeland Park is proud to be the first city in the metro area to adopt City-wide curbside glass recycling. Service will begin in January 2023.  Recycling glass bottles and jars saves energy and makes a real different in our community!  

Who is Ripple Glass?

Not long ago, KC had one of the worst glass recycling rates in the nation. The folks at Boulevard Brewing Company finally got tired of being part of the problem. With support from local organizations, they came up with a solution. Ripple Glass built a processing facility and placed more than 100 drop-off containers across the city, and eventually the metro area. Ripple Glass cleans and crushes recycled glass, which allows it to be re-melted into new jars and insulations by local manufacturers.

Climate Action KC

On July 6, 2021, the Roeland Park Governing Body passed Resolution No. 690 endorsing the Regional Climate Action Plan from Climate Action KC and the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC). 

Climate Action KC is a nonprofit regional collaborative bringing elected officials and community leaders together to reduce emissions, invigorate the economy, promote public health, and improve the quality of life across the Kansas City region. 

More information about Climate Action KC and the Regional Climate Action Plan can be found here.

Cooper Creek Park Restoration

Roeland Park has been active in the restoration of Cooper Creek Park located along Roeland Drive. Roeland Park has been clearing out invasive species, replanting native species, and making the park more friendly to residents and pedestrians. Be on the lookout in our newsletters for updates on Roeland Park's progress in the restoration process!

EV Charging stations and vehicles

Roeland Park was the first city in the state of Kansas to install electric vehicle charging stations that provided free use. The City has since upgraded these chargers to the latest technology Level 2 to provide a quicker charge. There are two charging stations available in city hall's parking lot. 

In addition, the two Neighborhood Services vehicles were upgraded in 2022 to all electric Kia Souls. Other vehicles in the City fleet are hybrids. As vehicles approach the end of their life, we are considering what technology suits our needs and upgrade to electric or hybrid if it makes sense.