BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – February 5, 2024 – The pioneering B20 Club of Illinois celebrates its tenth year in 2024 with a new milestone in adoption of biodiesel. Since 2014, B20 Club member fleets have used more than 110 million gallons of biodiesel blends of 20% and higher ─ reducing emissions, supporting the economy and improving the quality of life for all Illinoisans.
The B20 Club is an award-winning partnership between the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) checkoff program and the American Lung Association. It represents a diverse group of Illinois fleets, companies and organizations dedicated to cleaner air and more sustainable operations through production and use of biodiesel.
Starting with a handful of fleets in 2014, the B20 Club has since grown to 30-plus members, representing a cross section of the transportation industry. Fleet members represent municipalities, park districts, fuel suppliers, mass transit operators, trucking companies, utility companies, marine vessel operators, environmental companies and more. Affiliate members include not-for-profits, government agencies and other organizations that support B20 as a high-quality fuel source. Associate members encompass biodiesel producers and marketers.
“The Illinois Soybean Association is proud of its role in co-founding the B20 Club to recognize and support Illinois fleets that use biodiesel,” says David Kubik, ISA public policy manager. “The B20 Club provides an avenue for technical assistance, educational resources and networking opportunities to encourage use of biodiesel blends of B20 and higher.”
B20 Club member fleets have positively impacted air and environmental quality in Illinois, according to Bailey Arnold, director of clean air initiatives at the Lung Association and program lead for the B20 Club of Illinois.
“By fueling with biodiesel, our members have prevented significant levels of harmful pollutants from entering the air over the past ten years, including more than 123,000 pounds of particulate matter and 196,000 tons of carbon dioxide and equivalents (CO2e). That translates to an estimated $25 million in heath related savings and a carbon reduction equivalent to planting more than 3.3 million trees,” Arnold says.
For more information about the B20 Club of Illinois, visit B20Club.org, email CleanAir@Lung.org or phone 217-787-5864.
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About Illinois Soybean Association
The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) checkoff and membership programs represent more than 43,000 soybean farmers in Illinois. The checkoff funds market development and utilization efforts while the membership program supports the government relations interests of Illinois soybean farmers at the local, state, and national level, through the Illinois Soybean Growers (ISG). ISA upholds the interests of Illinois soybean producers through promotion, advocacy, and education with the vision of becoming a market leader in sustainable soybean production and profitability. For more information, visit the website www.ilsoy.org and www.ilsoygrowers.com.
About American Lung Association
The American Lung Association is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease through education, advocacy, and research. The Association’s Department of Clean Air Initiatives is dedicated to providing clean air for all. Learn more at https://www.lung.org/clean-air/outdoors.
Media Contacts:
Bailey Arnold
American Lung Association
bailey.arnold@lung.org
217-241-9011
Olivia Key
Illinois Soybean Association
olivia.key@ilsoy.org
309-307-9382
