There are many ways that people impact the environment around them. There are just as many ways – big and small – to work to lessen that impact. Plymouth residents interested in learning more about their environmental footprint can sign up for the Plymouth Environmental Academy.

The program is an initiative of the Plymouth Environmental Quality Committee, which introduced the academy as a way to increase the group’s community reach. The Plymouth Environmental Academy is free and open to everyone.

View more information about the Plymouth Environmental Academy.

The Environmental Quality Committee (EQC) reviews, considers, initiates and recommends to the Plymouth City Council policies, plans or projects to enhance and preserve the natural environment of the city.

Meetings are typically the second Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. in the Medicine Lake Room at Plymouth City Hall, 3400 Plymouth Blvd.

The EQC consists of seven members, with one member from each of the city’s four wards, and three members at-large. Meetings are open to the public.

Newly installed electric vehicle charging stations are now operational and available for community use at multiple public parking lots in Plymouth.

The City of Plymouth partnered with Carbon Solutions Group to implement the EV charging network in Plymouth in the fall of 2021, and installation of the equipment has been rolled out in a phased approach. 

In 2020, Plymouth City Council adopted a goal to explore ways to reduce the city’s carbon footprint. Facility energy saving improvements have resulted in an annual reduction of 397 Metric Tons of CO2 (equal to electric usage of 57 residential homes or carbon sequestered by 511 acres of forest). Major energy reduction efforts can be seen below:

Electricity Saving Measures
City Hall LED Conversion	25,561 kWh
Ice Arena LED Conversion	265,098 kWh
Well 14 Pump VFD	11,788 kWh
City Hall RTU and Exhaust	18,792 kWh
Public Safety Controls	10,150 kWh
City Hall Controls	20,920 kWh
Fire Station 3 LED's	206,280 kWh
Well House Wall Packs	500 kWh
Total Savings (per year)	559,088 kWh

 

Gas Saving Measures
Public Works Boiler Replacement	1,050 TH
Total Savings (per year)	1,050 TH

Food Waste Reduction 

Minnesotans throw away over 3 million tons of waste each year. Organic waste, including food wastes represent about 25 percent of all the material that goes to landfills. For Minnesota to reach its goal of 75 percent waste diversion goal by 2030, Minnesotans must reduce the organic and food waste they dispose. 

Plymouth Residents can do their part to reduce their organic waste footprint. View more information on food waste reduction.

Backyard Composting

Composting is nature’s way of recycling. And it's easy to do right in your own backyard. Compost can be used as a:

• Natural mulch for trees, lawn and garden plants.
• Soil amendment that improves the texture and moisture-holding capacity of the soil.
• Source of nutrients for plants.
• Potting medium when added to soil and sand.

View backyard composting information.

The city’s recycling contractor, Republic Services, will now offer weekly curbside organics collection to all Plymouth households beginning in early March 2024.

All households pay for organics recycling through their utility bill, like regular recycling. Residents must sign up to receive an organics cart to get started. Learn more and sign up for weekly curbside organics collection.

In August 2023, the City of Plymouth joined the GreenStep City initiative – a voluntary program designed to help cities achieve their sustainability and quality-of-life goals. 

Plymouth City Council adopted a resolution to enroll in the free program, which is in alignment with one of the city’s strategic themes – environmental stewardship. Plymouth has long been focused on environmental impact, and officially enrolling in the GreenStep Cities program is a way to formally join other cities in the state that share similar goals.

Participating cities also have access to resources, such as energy tracking, consultations, webinars, infrastructure advice and more. To learn more, visit the GreenStep Cities website.

Plymouth's Progress

In summer of 2024, the City of Plymouth achieved Step 2 of the five-step GreenStep Cities program. 

About GreenStep Cities

GreenStep Cities is managed by a public-private partnership and features actions tailored to all Minnesota cities that focus on cost savings and energy use reduction, and encourage civic innovation. The program was developed by a broad coalition of public and private stakeholders including the League of Minnesota Cities, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Office of Energy Security and the Clean Energy Resources Team.

The program features five recognition steps that are achieved through implementing some of the 29 GreenStep best practices, which are categorized into land use, buildings and lighting, transportation, environmental management, and resilient economic and community development.

State Removes Two Plymouth Lakes From Impaired Waters List in 2024

Two Plymouth lakes have been removed from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s impaired waters list in 2024, following two decades of work to improve the water quality.

Bass and Pomerleau lakes were approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in April to be removed from the MPCA’s impaired waters list. The delisting represents more than 20 years of effort by the City of Plymouth, lakeshore property owners and the Shingle Creek Watershed Management Commission – the culmination of various projects, practices and programs that have helped improve water quality in the lakes.

The MPCA listed Bass, Pomerleau and Schmidt lakes in Plymouth as impaired in 2002 under the federal Clean Water Act. Schmidt Lake was delisted in 2016. View more information.

Plymouth’s water begins in the subterranean bedrock layer know as the Prairie du Chein-Jordan aquifer. Water seeps through the layers of sandstone and dolomite to reach the 16 wells that supply water to most residents and businesses in Plymouth. From the wells, the water is taken to one of two water treatment plants operated by the city where the water is filtered and treated to reach the stringent standards for drinking water. It is then stored in several water towers and reservoirs.

Plymouth’s water is abundant, but it is not limitless. It is also not cheap. That’s why it’s important to take steps to smooth out the peak uses in the summer and conserve water all year long. That will ensure that the existing system will deliver reliable and affordable water for years to come.

View more information on water conservation.

Water Efficiency Rebate Program

The City of Plymouth participates in a Water Efficiency Rebate Program. The program is funded, in part, by a grant from the Metropolitan Council to reduce municipal water use in residential and commercial properties within the city.

The program offers rebates to property owners who replace inefficient toilets, irrigation systems and washing machines with WaterSense® or Energy Star® certified versions.

View more information about the Water Efficiency Rebate Program.

Plymouth residents take pride in their homes, lawns and gardens. They also enjoy the beauty and recreational opportunities provided by Plymouth’s lakes, streams and wetlands. View information on how to make ensure your lawn is lake-friendly.

Gardens and Plantings

The City of Plymouth encourages residents to consider the use of rain gardens, native plant gardens and shoreline plantings, all of which help protect water quality.