“Collingswood is committed to promoting sustainability in its policies and operations. We are proud of the work of our Green Team, volunteers, borough employees, and partners throughout town who helped us achieve this distinction,” said Collingswood Mayor James Maley.
Commissioner Joan Leonard, a longtime environmentalist and the Borough’s liaison to the Green Team reiterated the mayor’s comments. “I am thrilled to receive this designation and we owe a lot of thanks to our Borough staff and residents who do the work each day to fight climate change in our little corner of the world. Our work is far from done and the partnership with our residents is critical as we continue to implement policies and programs help protect the environment.”
To become Sustainable Jersey Silver certified, Collingswood submitted documentation to show it had completed a balance of the required sustainability actions, meeting a minimum of 350 action points and 3 priority actions. Collingswood achieved a total of 380 points for 37 actions in 14 different categories such as preserving natural resources, wildlife protection, energy efficiency, supporting arts and culture, economic resiliency, food production, land use and transportation, waste management, community education, and citizen engagement and communications.
“Congratulations to all of the municipalities that have achieved certification this year,” said Randy Solomon, executive director of Sustainable Jersey. “Earning certification involves more than just implementing sustainable actions. It takes extraordinary leadership and a real commitment to making our communities better. As New Jersey tops the list as one of the fastest-warming states in the nation, the next ten years will be a critical period for making progress. Sustainable Jersey certified towns are a force for change as they create a path forward to advance sustainability.” Certified towns excelled in areas such as improving energy efficiency, health and wellness, reducing waste, sustaining local economies, protecting natural resources and advancing the arts.
About Sustainable Jersey
Sustainable Jersey provides tools, training and financial incentives to support communities as they pursue sustainability programs. Currently, 80 percent or 450 of New Jersey’s 565 municipalities are participating in the municipal certification program and 339 school districts and 884 schools are participating in the Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification program. Learn more at www.SustainableJersey.com.
About Sustainable Collingswood
Sustainable Collingswood, also known as the Collingswood Green Team, works to create an environmentally friendly community and improve the quality of life in Collingswood through the support and creation of sustainable programs, policies, and practices. It is a collaborative effort in which volunteers work with borough officials, local businesses, residents, schools and other community organizations to foster and initiate programs and raise awareness throughout town to enhance the quality of life for current residents and for future generations. Programs in Collingswood that encourage sustainability include the town’s bike share program, subsidized composter and rainbarrel programs, community garden,and recognition as a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation. For more information visit the Green Team page here or Follow @CollsGreenTeam on Facebook