As a natural attraction, it’s our unique landscape that makes Rock City truly special—which is why we’re committed to finding green solutions across every part of our business. When it comes to sustainability, every bit helps. From composting to recycling and smart technology upgrades, Rock City is dedicated to a range of green initiatives throughout our gardens.
Composting has become an integral part of Rock City’s Green Way Forward. With multiple on-site restaurants serving hundreds of guests daily, our prep kitchens generate significant amounts of food scraps, making composting both practical and necessary. In an effort to divert this waste from the landfill, we partner with local company company NewTerra Compost to transform our food scraps into nutrient-rich soil. Instead of tossing leftover food or Starbucks coffee grounds in the garbage, we collect them in specialty compost bins that NewTerra picks up and processes at its commercial facility in nearby Dade County, Georgia. This partnership not only keeps food waste out of the landfill —it supports a local business that creates jobs and provides soil to area farms.
NewTerra uses an Aerated Static Pile composting method which involves piping oxygen into a pile of organic waste, where for the next 30 days, the pile composts at temperatures above 140 degrees. The compost then enters a curing phase for another 60+ days, after which it is screened or sifted down to ¼ inches Materials remaining on the screen are returned to the compost system either as a bulking agent or bio filter until they break down enough to screen through. Rock City, in turn, receives a share of the finished compost, but the majority goes to local farms.
Since June 2023, this partnership has helped us divert 40,958 pounds of food waste from landfills. According to NewTerra Compost, that’s the equivalent of not driving 40,631 miles and saving 1,843 gallons of gasoline.
Rock City continues to explore new sustainability projects. Our newest endeavor? Recycling cigarette butts. This year, we will begin sending all cigarette butts collected at Rock City’s designated smoking areas to Terracycle, a company that recycles hard-to-recycle items. Believe it or not, cigarettes contain enough recyclable materials for manufacturers to make new products.
Terracycle’s Cigarette Waste Free Recycling Program is free to participate in. Using appropriate containers, Rock City will ship its cigarette waste to Terracyle, where the waste is cleaned and separated. But the entire process begins with our guests. We ask that guests discard their cigarettes in our receptacles in Rock City’s two designated smoking areas.
Rock City is also committed to sustainable technology. Would you believe that doubling our Christmas lights has made us greener? That’s been the case for Rock City’s Enchanted Garden of Lights. Our long-time Christmas light celebration had the forethought in 2008 to begin transitioning to LED lighting. Our investment in sustainable lighting has grown over the years, allowing us to deck the gardens in over two million state-of-the-art lights — using only a fraction of the electricity that we were using in our incandescent age.
During your next visit to Rock City, take a glance around the Welcome Plaza. The structure above your head is a solar arbor, providing not only shade but electricity to our ticket office. Installed in November 2021, in partnership with EPB and Seven States Power, our educational solar arbor generates approximately 16,800 kWh of renewable energy annually. That’s enough to power 40 refrigerators or 3,200 cell phones for an entire year.
Our commitment to sustainability is ongoing through our Green Way Forward initiative, and we remain dedicated to finding new and innovative ways to reduce our environmental impact. We hope you will join us. You can help protect this special place by staying on the marked trails, recycling whenever possible, and disposing of trash properly. Consider carpooling on your next visit and bringing a reusable water bottle to reduce single-use waste. And please remember to smoke only in designated areas, using the proper receptacles for cigarette disposal. Together, we can ensure Rock City remains a destination as inspiring tomorrow as it is today.
We’re honored to be the stewards of this unique and awe-inspiring natural wonder. Experiencing Rock City’s beauty—its ancient rock formations, sweeping views, and vibrant gardens—offers more than just a memorable day; it’s a chance to reconnect with nature. We hope your time here inspires a deeper appreciation for the natural world and encourages thoughtful care for our planet, both during your visit and in the everyday choices you make at home.
Our commitment to sustainability is ongoing through our Green Way Forward initiative, and we remain dedicated to finding new and innovative ways to reduce our environmental impact. Together, we can ensure Rock City remains a destination as inspiring tomorrow as it is today.