B20 Club of Illinois hits 10-year, 110-million-gallon milestones

The pioneering B20 Club of Illinois celebrates its 10th 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 percent 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 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 cofounding the B20 Club to recognize and support Illinois fleets that use biodiesel,” said 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 American 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 10 years, including more than 123,000 pounds of particulate matter and 196,000 tons of carbon dioxide and equivalents (CO2e),” Arnold said. “That translates to an estimated $25 million in heath-related savings and a carbon-reduction equivalent to planting more than 3.3 million trees.”

For more information about the B20 Club of Illinois, visit B20Club.org.