The Bigger Picture: Composting Policy in New Jersey

SJC and its members have always focused on helping individuals and organizations live and function sustainably here in Jersey City. Today, however, we are excited to share an opportunity for community members to start spreading sustainability best practices and policies across the state by joining forces with our newest partner, the New Jersey Composting Council (NJCC).

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President and Trustee, Jairo E. Gonzalez after testifying for NJ bill s1768 and how Compost can Improve stormwater infrastructure. Source: Twitter

NJCC is a non-profit affiliate of the U.S. Composting Council dedicated to the development, expansion, and promotion of the composting and organics and food waste recycling industry here in New Jersey through grassroots political advocacy. To date, NJCC’s officers have been busy advancing the interests of New Jersey’s organics waste industry in multiple public forums, including testimony before the township of Princeton regarding its food waste recycling program and testimony before the New Jersey Senate’s Energy and Environmental Committee regarding amendments to proposed legislation aimed at promoting green storm water infrastructure and encouraging the use of compost in sustainable infrastructure projects (bill S1768).

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If you would like to learn more about how you can get involved as an agent of change throughout the state, we encourage you to attend NJCC’s spring meeting next Wednesday, April 24th from 4:30pm to 6:00pm in Morristown. Corinne Coe, an NJCC member and organics recycling specialist at Sustainable Generation, will present on “Why the Waste Industry Should Support Small Scale Composting.”

This meeting will be a great opportunity to learn more about the state of New Jersey’s composting industry and to begin making your voice heard by your elected representatives in Trenton. For more information regarding this event, including location details, please visit https://njcomposting.com/news. Can’t make the meeting? Stay in touch with their advocacy work by signing up for their newsletter.

Sustainable Jersey City's Eco-Ambassador Program Launch!

Sustainable JC is launching a new and exciting program to train Eco-Ambassadors in Jersey City. The program will educate individuals about the do’s and don’ts of recycling in Jersey City and empower them to engage with friends and neighbors to pass this information along. The program will focus on two areas of recycling - materials (plastic, paper, glass, and aluminum) and organics (compost). The first training will be THIS Saturday, April 13th for Food Waste. The second will be on Saturday, April 27th for Plastics and Materials Recycling.

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Did you know Jersey City currently only recycles plastics 1&2?

While Jersey City offers curbside pickup of recyclable material, compliance rates citywide are low, and even well-meaning participants may be inadvertently introducing contamination. For example, Jersey City only accepts type 1 and type 2 plastics, like water bottles and milk jugs. This means that most other plastics like those used to make yogurt and take-out containers, cling wrap, and plastic cutlery will need to be pulled out after collection. If those items are in high enough concentration, everything collected will be deemed trash and sent to landfill. Our goal is to ensure not only recycling participation, but recycling of the right things. Contrary to popular belief, our mantra is: “When in doubt, throw it out.” Come out to one of our Eco-Ambassador trainings to learn more!

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Compost bin at PEACE Community Garden in Jersey City

Organics recycling in Jersey City is not offered by the city (yet) but there are several options for recycling food scraps, including one run by Sustainable JC. Organic waste is wet and heavy, increasing the cost of hauling and disposal. But just as important, once buried in a landfill, this material generates methane, a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than C02. Composting takes this wasted resource and turns it into a rich soil amendment that can be used in gardens, parks, and green spaces all over the city. Eco-Ambassadors will spread the word about how easy it is to plug into one of these composting options, and the personal and environmental benefits that come from adopting that into one’s routine.

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We hope to see this transformation ripple through Jersey City with every conversation, interaction, neighborhood and association meeting the Eco-Ambassadors plug into. Information leads to new perspectives and ultimately a change in behavior. Be the start of this change. Sign up to become an Eco-Ambassador today! If you are unable to attend either of these sessions, please contact us at sustianablejc@gmail.com so we can let you know when our next training will be.