NJ recycling leaders honored at DEP's annual awards program

From Staff Reports
·3 min read

An airport that recycles numerous items including polycarbonate runway signs; a municipality with a comprehensive curbside, drop-off and food waste recycling system; and a senior citizen who volunteered to collect and deliver loads of recyclables generated by his neighbors during the COVID pandemic were among those honored as New Jersey’s 2022 recycling leaders, announced Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette.

Those recently recognized at the DEP's 41st Annual Recycling Awards program were:

  • Millville Executive Airport, Cumberland County

  • The Village of Ridgewood, Division of Recycling, Bergen County

  • Donald Cammus of Florence Township, Burlington County

  • Nestle Health Science of Bridgewater, Somerset County

  • Recycle My Battery, Middlesex County

  • Atlantic Health System, statewide

“New Jersey is consistently a national leader in recycling, and we applaud the winners for going above and beyond to help keep the environment safe and clean for all,” LaTourette said.

“We commend these award winners for their focused and innovative efforts to protect New Jersey’s environment by keeping it clean and healthy,” said Assistant Commissioner for Air Quality, Energy and Sustainability Paul Baldauf. “We hope their achievements and commitment will inspire others to adopt better recycling practices.”

In 1987, New Jersey became the first state to enact legislation that requires recycling in residential, commercial and institutional settings. The DEP administers several grants and educational programs to help improve the statewide recycling rate. For 2019, New Jersey achieved an overall recycling rate of 56%. The national recycling rate is 32%.

The winners

Business – Nestle Health Science

Through numerous recycling, composting and waste reduction initiatives, Nestle Health Science in Bridgewater could keep 86% of the waste it generated out of the waste disposal stream in 2021. The company recycles a wide range of traditional materials, as well as food waste, personal protective equipment, wooden pallets, plastic and metal drums and coffee pods.

Government – Village of Ridgewood, Division of Recycling

In addition to its comprehensive curbside collection program, Ridgewood operates a recycling drop-off center that accepts food waste, textiles, electronics, concrete, printer cartridges and more. The village’s Division of Recycling also does an outstanding job of educating residents about the recycling program through its website, flyers, green guide and more.

Rising Star – Millville Executive Airport

The Millville Executive Airport recycles polycarbonate runway signs, concrete, used oil and numerous materials from hangar cleanouts, bottles, cans and paper from administrative and public spaces. The airport also made improvements to its internal recycling education program, including special training for maintenance staff.

Outstanding Educator/Educational Program – Recycle My Battery

Recycle My Battery is a nonprofit organization devoted to educating the public about the importance of battery recycling and increasing the number of batteries recycled. The organization uses press releases, flyers, magazine articles, YouTube videos, webinars, school talks, appearances at public events and other strategies to promote its mission. Recycle My Battery estimates that its various educational initiatives have reached more than 4.5 million people since the program’s establishment in 2019.

Source Reduction, Resource Management/Sustainability – Atlantic Health System

Atlantic Health System promotes sustainability in the health care sector through numerous initiatives, including an innovative program in which Powered Air Purifying Respirators were used instead of disposable respirators during the COVID pandemic. Through the use of these devices, Atlantic Health System saved 2,400 disposable respirators from being used and disposed of each day. Over the course of a year, this system-wide initiative removed 876,000 disposable respirators from the waste stream.

Volunteer Citizen – Donald Cammus

Donald Cammus volunteered his time in Florence Township when the pandemic, and later a truck driver shortage, impacted recycling collection in his community. Seeing that his neighbors needed help and that the local recycling collection program was adversely impacted by these factors, he loaded his neighbors’ recyclables into his own vehicle and brought the materials to the township recycling center. This often resulted in Cammus making multiple trips every day to the recycling center, resulting in the recycling of numerous items.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ DEP honors state's recycling leaders