Glen Ridge awarded $10,000 grant to advance sustainability goals

 

July 9, 2021 -- The Borough of Glen Ridge was awarded a $10,000 Sustainable Jersey grant funded by the PSEG Foundation. Four $20,000 grants, eight $10,000 grants and twenty $2,000 grants were distributed to municipalities in fourteen New Jersey counties.

 

The grant awards will fund a range of projects including green infrastructure implementation, stormwater management and floodplain restoration; green business certification programs, buy-local campaigns, farmers markets and sustainable take-out container campaigns; community and pollinator gardens; energy efficiency upgrades and studies; educational campaigns focused on a variety of sustainability issues such as water conservation, food waste, recycling, and single-use plastics; general green team support and more.

 

“We are excited to receive this grant which will be used to reduce household waste in our community,” said Glen Ridge Mayor Stuart Patrick. “This funding will enable us to increase our composting and recycling facilities and programs as well as to provide continuing education on waste management to our residents. We also believe that this program will not only benefit our community, by showing our residents ways in which they can reduce their waste, but may, also provide other benefits to communities that house commercial waste disposal facilities.”

 

“Congratulations to the municipalities that received grant funding today. I continue to be amazed by what is possible when elected officials, municipal staff, green teams and community members work together to create vibrant and sustainable communities,” said Randall Solomon, executive director for Sustainable Jersey. “These grants will build capacity as municipalities move sustainability programs forward.” 

 

The PSEG Foundation has contributed $2.5 million dollars in funding to the Sustainable Jersey grants program for municipalities and schools. “The PSEG Foundation is committed to helping build sustainable communities by empowering and investing in the people, environment and infrastructure of the communities we serve,” said Calvin Ledford, PSEG director of Corporate Social Responsibility and president of the PSEG Foundation. “Supporting Sustainable Jersey and local municipalities, schools and school districts puts resources where they’re needed to positively impact the environment and local communities, having a lasting impact on neighborhoods throughout New Jersey.”

 

Proposals were evaluated by an independent Blue-Ribbon Selection Committee. The Sustainable Jersey grants are intended to help municipalities make progress toward a sustainable future in general, and specifically toward Sustainable Jersey certification. 

 

The Borough will take on waste reduction in a holistic fashion, including creation of a food waste drop off location and holding station, development of a new educational campaign to increase participation in the Borough’s recycling initiatives, expanding options for recycling and “freecycling” for residents, and increasing community awareness about what happens to Glen Ridge’s waste once it leaves the community.

 

ABOUT SUSTAINABLE JERSEY

Sustainable Jersey is a non-profit that provides tools, training and financial incentives to support communities as they pursue sustainability programs. Currently, 81 percent or 458 of New Jersey’s 565 municipalities are participating in the municipal certification program and 373 school districts and 1024 schools are participating in the Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification program. 

 

Website:               www.SustainableJersey.com; www.SustainableJerseySchools.com

Twitter:                  www.twitter.com/SJ_Program; www.twitter.com/SJ_Schools

Facebook:            www.facebook.com/SustainableJersey  

Instagram:           https://instagram.com/sustainable_jersey/

Linked In:              www.linkedin.com/company/sustainable-jersey

 

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