New Providence received a $36,275.81 Clean Communities grant from the state Department of Environmental Protection’s (NJDEP) Solid Waste Division.
The annual Clean Communities grants help municipalities and counties across New Jersey promote volunteer and paid litter clean-up events, purchase equipment, support enforcement activities and litter-related educational opportunities.
“We are always looking for ways to push New Providence toward a cleaner, greener future,” said Mayor Morgan. “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 2023, when New Providence received $31,937.92.
"New Providence 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 New Providence 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 New Providence will use the funding this year in a smart, strategic way in 2024 to further expand the Clean Communities mission.”
This year’s total $27.3 million in funding represents more than a $3 million increase from last year. In total, the DEP is awarding $24.3 million to eligible municipalities and more than $3 million to counties across the state to conduct cleanups, promote anti-littering messaging and enforce litter-related laws and ordinances. Allocations are based on housing units, road mileage and population.
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 schools and the general public 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, litter-related books and field trips; enforcement of local anti-littering ordinances; graffiti removal; and purchases of trash receptacles, recycling bins and anti-litter signs.
For a complete list of 2024 municipal and county grant awards, visit www.NJClean.org.