Robbinsville Earns Sustainable NJ Certification

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 3, 2015

Contact: John Nalbone
Public Information & Communications Officer
Robbinsville Township
(609) 918-0002 ext. 129
jnalbone@robbinsville-twp.org

Robbinsville Township Achieves Sustainable Jersey Certification

ROBBINSVILLE, NJ - (November 3, 2015) – Sustainable Jersey representatives have announced that Robbinsville Township has met the rigorous requirements to achieve Sustainable Jersey certification. The Robbinsville application was approved for 17 actions in seven categories for a total of 170 points.

Robbinsville is one of 48 towns that have attained certification in 2015 and will be honored at theSustainable Jersey awards luncheon on Tuesday, November 17 in Atlantic City with Business Administrator Joy Tozzi accepting the award.

“Led by Joy, our Green Team worked incredibly hard to meet the rigorous criteria needed to achieve bronze status, while still attending to their everyday township duties,’’ Mayor Dave Fried said. “Robbinsville, formerly Washington Township, was established as a farming community in 1860 and although we are now a leader in business and industry, this great honor proves we are still very environmentally conscious. We are incredibly proud to officially be part of Sustainable Jersey.’’

To become Sustainable Jersey certified, Robbinsville submitted documentation to show it had completed a balance of the required sustainability actions, meeting a minimum of 150 action points. In addition to reaching 150 points, each certified community had to create a green team and select at least 2 out of 11 priority action options. Robbinsville met the action requirement in assorted areas that included:

1) energy tracking & management, 2) inventory & upgrade all buildings, 3) green business recognition program, 4) fleet inventory, 5) climate adaptation: flooding risk, 6) municipal carbon footprint, 7) sustainable land use pledge, 8) natural resource inventory, 9) water conservation ordinance, 10) prescription drug safety and disposal, and/or 11) diversity on boards & commissions.

“Becoming Sustainable Jersey certified is a significant achievement,” said Randall Solomon, co-director of Sustainable Jersey. “The 189 Sustainable Jersey certified towns demonstrate leadership and are a testament to how much we can accomplish toward the long-term goal of a sustainable New Jersey.”

Certified towns excelled in areas such as improving energy efficiency and health and wellness, reducing waste, sustaining local economies, protecting natural resources and advancing the arts. “Collectively the 430 participating Sustainable Jersey towns are a powerful force in New Jersey,” said Donna Drewes, co-director of Sustainable Jersey.

About Sustainable Jersey

Sustainable Jersey is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that provides tools, training and financial incentives to support communities as they pursue sustainability programs. Currently, 76 percent, or 430 of New Jersey’s 565 municipalities are participating in the municipal certification program. In October 2014, Sustainable Jersey for Schools was launched in partnership with New Jersey School Boards Association and other statewide educational organizations. Currently, over 120 school districts and 300 schools are participating in the Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification program.

Sustainable Jersey: Sustainable Jersey’s partners include the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, The Sustainability Institute at The College of New Jersey, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Clean Energy Program. Program underwriters include the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, and the Surdna Foundation. The 2015 Sustainable Jersey Small Grants program is funded by PSEG Foundation and the Gardinier Environmental Fund. South Jersey Gas and New Jersey Natural Gas are Platinum Sponsors. Bayshore Recycling is a Silver Sponsor and the Bronze Sponsors are Church and Dwight, Covanta and Energy Solve.

Sustainable Jersey for Schools is underwritten by the New Jersey School Boards Association, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Clean Energy Program, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and the New Jersey Education Association. The 2015 Sustainable Jersey for Schools Small Grants program is funded by the PSEG Foundation, New Jersey Education Association, the Gardinier Environmental Fund and the New Jersey Department of Health. The Founding Sponsors are South Jersey Gas, New Jersey Natural Gas and NJM Insurance Group. Bayer Foundation is a Silver Sponsor and Spiezle Architectural Group is a Bronze Sponsor.

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

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SustainableJersey

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

-RT-