ParkTalk Podcast: Sustainable Refueling with the B20 Club

Friday, January 17, 2025

Episode Description:

As a community leader in sustainability, the Naperville Park District adopts various practices that is beneficial to the environment. Join Bailey Arnold of the American Lung Association, as well as Clint Burnell and Lee Meyer from the Naperville Park District discuss biodiesel fuel and the purpose of the B20 Club.

Quotes from the Episode:

What is biodiesel and what makes it unique to other alternative fuels?

Biodiesel fuel at it’s core is a modified vegetable oil. Essentially what you do is take cooking oil, or any vegetable oil, and mix it with alcohol and lye, and you get a product that is chemically similar to diesel fuel. It has a lot of great properties that go with it, from a maintenance perspective, from a clear air perspective, and from an environmental perspective. – Bailey Arnold

What spurred the District to switch to biodiesel fuel and pursue membership of the B20 Club?

With the Park District, we are always trying to be as environmentally friendly as we can. Environmental stewardship is one of our core values. We do try to look at not only biodiesel, but other alternative fuels. It just made sense for us to join the B20 Club and spread the word that B20 fuel is not a big change, and you can use it in you equipment without having to alter your operations. – Clint Burnell

What is the long-term goal of the B20 Club?

When we first started out with the B20 Club 10 years ago, the goal was to get folks up to a B20 blend. B20 is quickly becoming not the ceiling, but the floor for biodiesel. We’re seeing broader adoption of higher blends now in the modern era of B30, B40 and B100, and our goal is to really look at those blends and try to help get the OEMs (original engine manufacturers) on board with those high blends. – Bailey Arnold