Raritan Township receives Environmental Achievement Award

Raritan Township has won the coveted Environmental Achievement Award at ANJEC’s 51st Annual Environmental Congress held on Sept. 27 at Rowan College in Mt. Laurel, NJ.

The award recognizes the Food Waste Recycling and Composting project started by the Raritan Township Environmental Commission and Green Team in June of 2023.  Visitors to the weekly Hunterdon Land Trust and Stangl Farmer’s Markets were encouraged bring their household food waste to be recycled into compost.  

David Moutner from the Raritan Township Environmental Commission accepts the ANJEC Environmental Achievement Award from ANJEC Board President, Marion McClary, Jr.

Through a grant from Sustainable Jersey/PSEG Foundation the Environmental Commission and Green Team created a free program to collected household food waste. Collections started in June 2023 and ran for 10 months, during which time over 6 ¼ tons of food waste was recycled.  Educational materials about food waste recycling, how to reduce, reuse and recycle food waste and various composting options were also discussed with market visitors.  At the successful conclusion of the grant program,  OneCompostCan a local food waste recycler, was eager to take over the weekly collections at a reasonable cost to those wishing to continue recycling their food waste.

Food waste from landfills is the third largest emitter of methane gas which is a major contributor to greenhouse gases. An estimated 1/3 – ½ of all household trash in the US is wasted food and food scraps.  Not only does food waste recycling reduce the volume of trash going to landfills, thereby reducing the of amount of methane created, but has the additional benefit of creating valued compost.