What Is Sustainability? A Practical Guide for Fox Valley Families

“Sustainability” is one of those words that gets used so often it starts to sound like background noise. It shows up on coffee cups, corporate reports and campaign signs. But when the original Sustainable Fox Valley initiative began bringing neighbors together around this idea, the goal was never a slogan. It was a practical question: how do we keep the Fox Cities a healthy, affordable and pleasant place to live for our kids and their kids?

This guide is for families who want a clear answer to “what is sustainability?” and, more importantly, want to know what it looks like on an ordinary Tuesday in Appleton, Neenah, Kaukauna or Oshkosh. We will cover a working definition, why it matters in our particular corner of Wisconsin, where a household’s impact really comes from, and a simple plan for your first month.

A working definition you can actually use

The most widely quoted definition comes from the United Nations’ 1987 Brundtland Commission report, Our Common Future: development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The original Sustainable Fox Valley home page put it almost the same way: “Being able to satisfy present human needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

That definition has two halves, and both matter. The first half is about needs: warmth in January, clean water, healthy food, a safe home, a way to get to work and school, and a sense of belonging. The second half is about limits: we are drawing on soil, water, forests, fuels and a stable climate that the next generation will also depend on.

Three lenses: environment, economy and equity

Many people find it helpful to look at any decision through three lenses at once:

• Environment. Does this protect or restore the natural systems we depend on, such as the Fox River, Lake Winnebago, our groundwater and farmland soils?
• Economy. Does it make financial sense over its full life, including energy, maintenance and replacement costs, not just the sticker price?
• Equity. Does it help, or at least not hurt, people’s ability to meet their basic needs fairly, including neighbors with lower incomes, older residents and people with disabilities?

A choice that scores well on all three is usually a keeper. Sealing air leaks in a drafty house is a classic example: it lowers fuel use, cuts bills and makes the home more comfortable and healthier for whoever lives there.

Why sustainability matters right here in the Fox Valley

Sustainability can feel abstract until you look at local history. The Lower Fox River powered the paper mills that built many of our communities, and for decades the river also carried the cost. Mills discharged PCBs, a byproduct of carbonless copy paper production, into the river in the mid-twentieth century. Work to dredge or cap contaminated riverbed began in 1999, and the cleanup of the Lower Fox River and part of Green Bay was announced complete in 2020 after roughly two decades. More than 6.5 million cubic yards of sediment were dredged from about 39 miles of river, at a cost expected to exceed $1 billion. The Wisconsin DNR keeps a record of that effort on its Fox River cleanup page.

That story is the clearest local lesson in what “compromising the ability of future generations” looks like. Decisions made for short-term convenience became a multigenerational cleanup bill and decades of fish consumption advisories.

Our water, our winters, our way of getting around

• Water. Lake Winnebago is Wisconsin’s largest inland lake, at roughly 132,000 acres, and its water flows north through the Fox Cities to Green Bay. Phosphorus washing off lawns, streets and fields feeds summer algae blooms throughout this system, which is why yard and stormwater habits matter even miles from the shore.
• Winter. Long heating seasons mean home heating is a large share of most household energy bills and emissions. Efficiency is not a luxury here; it is a comfort and affordability issue.
• Getting around. Many Fox Cities neighborhoods were built around the car. Trails, transit and smarter trip planning can reduce costs, but the options vary a lot by neighborhood.

Four questions that make sustainability concrete

The original Sustainable Fox Valley initiative organized its work around four guiding questions adapted from The Natural Step framework. They are still the best “pocket tool” we know. How can our community:

1. reduce our use of fossil fuels and other scarce substances taken from the earth’s crust?
2. reduce our use of toxic and man-made substances that do not break down in nature?
3. preserve or restore the natural systems that support life?
4. do all of this without creating barriers that stand in the way of all people meeting their fundamental needs fairly and efficiently?

Try running a real decision through them. Say you are choosing a lawn care approach. Question one asks about fuel for mowing and the energy used to make synthetic fertilizer. Question two asks about pesticides that persist in soil and water. Question three asks whether the yard supports pollinators and soaks up rain instead of shedding it toward the storm sewer. Question four asks whether the approach is affordable and practical for your household. Suddenly, “be more sustainable” becomes “mow higher, skip or soil-test before fertilizing, and convert a corner to native plants.” We go deeper into the framework in The Natural Step Framework Explained.

Where a household’s footprint actually comes from

It is easy to spend energy on small, visible things (straws, grocery bags) while missing the big, invisible ones (the furnace, the commute). The table below groups typical household impacts by area, with the changes that usually matter most in northeast Wisconsin. It is a general guide, not a measurement; your own bills and habits will tell you where you stand.

If you want to see your own numbers side by side, try our footprint calculator. It is designed to show you which of these areas is largest for your household so you can start there.

Your first 30 days: a simple starter plan

Big plans tend to stall. Small, specific steps tend to stick. Here is a month-long plan built for a typical Fox Valley household. Do one step a week and you will have meaningful results by the end of the month.

1. Week 1: Take a baseline. Pull 12 months of gas and electric bills (most utilities show this online), note roughly how many miles your household drives per week, and look at how full your trash and recycling carts get. Write the numbers down.
2. Week 2: Go after heat loss. Set a thermostat schedule that lowers the temperature while you sleep and while the house is empty. Check door weatherstripping. Schedule a home energy assessment through Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s statewide utility efficiency program, which also lists current rebates.
3. Week 3: Fix your food and waste habits. Plan meals for the week, set up a “use it first” shelf in the fridge, and check the Tri-County Recycling Program list for what belongs in your cart. Start a compost pile or bin if you have the space.
4. Week 4: Pick one bigger project for the season. Choose one thing to plan for the next three months: attic insulation before winter, a rain garden in spring, a bike route to work in summer, or switching to a local CSA share. Put it on the calendar.

Sustainability through the Wisconsin seasons

One of the most useful ways to think about sustainability here is seasonally. Each part of the year opens different opportunities.

Fall

This is the time to prepare for heating season: change the furnace filter, schedule insulation and air sealing, and manage leaves. Keeping leaves out of the street and gutter helps keep phosphorus out of storm drains that lead to the Fox River and Lake Winnebago. Mulch them into the lawn or use them in garden beds and compost.

Winter

Winter reveals your home’s weak spots. Watch for icicles and ice dams (often a sign of heat leaking into the attic), drafts near outlets and windows, and frosty spots on walls. Note them for repair. Winter is also a good time to start a study circle with neighbors, when evenings are long and outdoor work is on hold.

Spring

Spring is planting and stormwater season. Install a rain barrel, plan a rain garden, and choose native plants that support pollinators. Spring is also when community cleanups and Earth Day events bring people together along the river.

Summer

Summer is the easiest season for car-light living on Fox Cities trails, for buying directly from farmers markets and CSAs, and for line-drying laundry. It is also when solar panels produce the most, if you are weighing rooftop solar.

Common myths that hold families back

“It costs too much.”

Some upgrades are expensive, but many of the most effective steps are free or cheap: thermostat settings, meal planning, combining car trips, mending instead of replacing. Efficiency upgrades often pay for themselves through lower bills, and Focus on Energy and local utilities offer rebates that change over time, so it pays to check current offers before you buy.

“One household can’t make a difference.”

One household’s direct impact is modest. But households set norms. When neighbors see insulation crews, rain gardens and bikes on a block, they ask questions and follow. That ripple effect is exactly why the original Sustainable Fox Valley work focused on neighborhoods and study circles, not just individual pledges.

“Sustainability means giving things up.”

Often it means gaining things: a warmer, quieter house, fresher food, lower bills, a stronger connection with neighbors and more time outside. The point is not deprivation; it is a better fit between how we live and what our region can support over the long run.

Next steps

Ready to go further? Start with the area that matters most for your household.

• Get practical ideas for your home and block on our Households and Neighborhoods page.
• Learn the four system conditions behind this approach in The Natural Step Framework Explained.
• If you want a structured look at your own energy use and waste, our virtual Home Energy & Waste Assessment walks through your bills and habits with you.

Try the footprint calculator Get involved

Frequently asked questions