Scotch Plains Awarded a $53,491 Clean Communities Grant from DEP
SCOTCH PLAINS – May 18, 2023 – Scotch Plains will be receiving a $53,491 Clean Communities grant from the state Department of Environmental Protection’s (NJDEP) Solid Waste Division.
Clean Communities grants help municipalities and counties across New Jersey promote volunteer and paid clean-up events, purchase equipment, support enforcement activities and educational opportunities.
“The Township Council and I are always looking for ways to push Scotch Plains toward a cleaner, greener future,” said Mayor Josh Losardo. “Our Department of Public Works conducts numerous programs aimed at keeping our town litter-free throughout the year. It is through programs like Clean Communities that we are able to keep our streets, open space, recreation areas and township grounds clear of litter and debris.”
This year’s grant is an increase from 2022, when Scotch Plains received $47,691.
"Scotch Plains has consistently been one of the top municipalities in the state in regards to fighting litter," said JoAnn Gemenden, executive director, New Jersey Clean Communities Council.
"We work closely with Scotch Plains to ensure that state funds are continually maximized to develop and implement anti-litter education and programming in the township, as well as to coordinate local clean-ups,” she said. “We are confident that Scotch Plains will use the funding this year in a smart, strategic way to further expand the Clean Communities mission.”
This year’s funding represents a nearly $2.7 million increase from last year. In total, the NJDEP is awarding $21.4 million to eligible municipalities and $2.7 million to counties across the state to conduct cleanups, educate the public and enforce litter-related laws and ordinances. Allocations on based on statistical reports that outline the number of housing units and municipally-owned roadway mileage in a respective area.
Grants are funded by a legislated user-fee on manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors that produce litter-generating products.
“Local litter abatement programs are more important than ever as we strive to prevent roadway litter from getting into our waterways,” Gemenden added. “Clean Communities grants provide local governments with critical funds to help create a Litter Free NJ.”
The Clean Communities Council operates public awareness campaigns to educate the public, primarily youth, about the adverse environmental impacts of litter, especially on waterways.
The organization also helped facilitate the transition away from single-use plastic and paper bags with its Litter Free NJ campaign, using public service announcements and other outreach to remind residents to bring their own reusable bags when shopping, and to recycle plastic bags. These efforts have helped to significantly reduce the amount of plastic pollution in the state by an estimated 8 billion single-use bags per year.
Litter comes from many sources, such as people who carelessly toss away their trash, overflowing and uncovered garbage cans, and construction sites. Litter is often dispersed by the wind and carried into stormwater collection systems, where it can clog drains causing flooding, harm wildlife and degrade the quality of the state’s surface waters.
The Clean Communities grant program funds a variety of activities including volunteer cleanups of public spaces; cleanups of stormwater systems that can disperse trash into waterways; educational outreach campaigns; enforcement of local anti-littering ordinances; graffiti removal; and purchases of trash receptacles, recycling bins and anti-litter signs.
For a complete list of 2023 municipal and county grant awards, click here.