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Green Team

Want to join the Green Team or Volunteer?
IN THE NEWS:
Green Team 2025 Projects

04/19/25 - Waterway Cleanup - 1:00 PM

05/03/25 - Health Fair 8:00 AM & Spring 5K - 9 AM Bethany Community Center

10/4/25 - Town Day - 10 AM

10/26/25 -Halloween 5K / Kids Fun Run - 9 AM Gardner Field

All are welcome to volunteer at any of these events! To sign up or get further information please contact Councilman Tom Sears


HOME SELLERS & LANDLORD TO DISCLOSE FLOOD RISKS & PAST DAMAGES.
Recently the New Jersey state legislature and Governor Murphy passed a new law, requiring sellers of real property and landlords to make certain notifications regarding flooding. For full details click here.

STYROFOAM COLLECTION is available at the DPW yard!

3/24/25 - CSA PROGRAM COMES TO BACK TO TOWNSHIP!
The Green Team’s 3rd Annual CSA Program will begin on June 3, 2025.
Flocktown, an organically grown and sustainable farm is located in Pittstown, NJ. They will, once again, be delivering your subscription CSA box on Tuesdays to the Washington Township Library for 25 weeks. Pick up is between 9:30am – 7:30pm. You can place a delivery hold on your weekly subscription box and get credit but all boxes must be picked up by Tuesday otherwise they will be donated.
Choose a Large, Full, Half or Small share of weekly harvest vegetables. We receive a 5% group discount and no delivery fee. There is also an additional 3% discount if you pay in full.
Unlike some other CSA programs Flocktown farms allows you to manage your own account and make changes to the quantity and type of vegetables that are harvest for the week. You also have the option to add milk, eggs and bread to your weekly subscription.
Every Friday you will receive an email from Flocktown farms describing what will be in your CSA subscription box, you have until Monday at 7am to makes changes if needed. At this time the “Farm Store” will be opened and you can add other products such as cheeses and meats from other local farms at an additional cost.
For information and to create an account log onto: www.flocktownfarm.com Sign up by May 15, 2025 so you are not locked out.
Select the “Join the 2025 CSA” button on the first page of the website. You will be directed to a list of pick-up locations, scroll to bottom and select Twp of Washington Public Library. From there you can put in your discount code WPL2025 for your 5% discount. Sign up by May 15, 2025.We want to thank the Library for their support and for allowing us to hold the program at their facility. Thank you for your support,
Tom, Dina, Patty - Green Team Members
Question? DinaBurke1999@aol.com

NJ PLASTIC BAG BAN GOES INTO EFFECT 5/4/22 - Visit here for more information

WATERSHED CLEANUP AT LINCOLN PARK - 4/2/22 - Please join us as we gather at Lincoln Park in the Township of Washington as our Community spring Clean-Up efforts begin! We will meet at Lincoln Park (located off Spice/Beachwood) at 9am and work until 2pm. We are in need of volunteers! To join us, or to address any questions please contact Councilman Tom Sears here.

EZ-RIDE GRANT (State program for bike route) - Help us get it! Find out more & take the Survey by clicking here

PLASTIC BAG & POLYSTYRENE FOAM BAN EFFECTIVE MAY 4, 2022 - view flyer here

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW?
Starting May 4, 2022, New Jersey retail stores, grocery stores and food service businesses may not provide or sell single-use plastic carryout bags and polystyrene foam food service products. Single-use paper carryout bags are allowed to be provided or sold, except by grocery stores equal to or larger than 2500 square feet, which may only provide or sell reusable carryout bags. After November 4, 2021, plastic straws may be provided only upon the request of the customer.
WHAT IS A REUSABLE CARRYOUT BAG?
Under the law (P.L.2020 c.117), a reusable carryout bag isdefined as one that:
  1. is made of polypropylene fabric, PET non-woven fabric, nylon, cloth, hemp product, or other washable fabric, and
  2. has stitched handles (either thread or ultrasonic), and
  3. is designed and manufactured for at least 125 reuses.
WHERE CAN A BUSINESS PURCHASE PRODUCTS ALLOWED UNDER THE LAW?
Businesses may contact any distributor or manufacturer to obtain products that meet the requirements of the law. As a courtesy, the NJ Business Action Center’s website features an online clearinghouse of wholesale vendors who provide reusable carryout bags and environmentally-sound alternative
products. To access the vendor list or to register as a wholesale vendor, please go to business.nj.gov/bags/plastic-ban-law.
WHAT POLYSTYRENE FOAM FOOD SERVICE PRODUCTS ARE BANNED?
As of May 4, 2022, all polystyrene foam food service products are banned for use and sale. See side two for a list of exemptions. For more information, please
see nj.gov/dep/plastic-ban-law/#foam_products.
WHAT RETAIL AND FOOD SERVICE ESTABLISHMENTS ARE AFFECTED BY THIS BAN?
For a list of businesses impacted and items banned please go to this link - click here


2/11/22 - Great News203c.png The Twp of Washington, NJ - Bergen County is now going Anti-Idling to make sure we have a cleaner environment for our community 1f30e.png For further information, visit: https://www.stopthesoot.org/

11/23/21 - LINCOLN PARK 1f333.png REHABILITATION NEWS1f5de.png - Want to help2049.png Support Michael in his Eagle Scout Project aimed at bringing back endangered and resident birds by sponsoring a birdhouse. You may visit his website for further details and contact information here:1f517.png https://sites.google.com/view/michaels-eagle-project/home

8/8/21 - The Green 1f7e2.png Team is applying for a Grant 1f4b0.png from EZ Ride, a State program, for a Bike 1f6b2.png Route203c.png We need your help though. First, we need to audit all routes to schools, parking lots, cross streets and Hazards to biking and walking. Below is a link 1f517.png for a survey we need as many residents as possible to take.

Please take a minute 23f3.png to fill out the survey to help us secure the Grant. We appreciate your time and support! http://www.njsaferoutes.org/

05/01/21 - Great News! After submitting dates and projects to the State and County for our Earth Day and waterway cleanup, the following projects wer accepted and approved:
  • May 15th for Lincoln Park and water way .
  • May 22nd Clark field cleanup and planting flowers .
The County has approved our grant request and we will receive a $400.00 grant. The State will supply all cleanup materials grant money pending.
Happy Earth Day 2021 from the Township of Washington Green Team! While the world continues to heal froearth%20day%20web.jpgm the current pandemic, many events and projects now back up and running and scheduled. We just held a paper shredding event and have our tree seedling events coming up. The watershed and park clean ups have been funded and are also now on the calendar! Our styrofoam recycling program opened back up in December of 2020 at the DPW so make sure you take advantage! We look forward to continuing these and other projects as we continue to move forward in our recovery from the virus. We thank you for all of your support and look forward to bettering our environment and Township of Washington together!

The Green Team recieves letter and Certificate of Approval for the succesful cogreen%20team%20forestry%20cert.jpgmpletion of an approved Community Forestry Management Plan in accordance with the New Jersey Shade Tree and Community Forestry Assistance Act. Click here for more information.

Summary of N.J. Idling Requirements for Motor Vehicles
ALERTS

REWARD INCREASED! If you know something - say something! Generous and outraged residents have upped the reward money to $1000 for information leading to the person or persons responsible for the destruction of the beautification project by the bridge crossing off Cleveland. Contact the Washington Township Police with any information regarding this vandalism.

RECYCLING RULES REMINDER - Plastic bags are NOT recyclable and you may not put your recyclables in plastic bags. You should put bottles, cans and containers loose in a barrel or bin. Bottles, cans and containers must be rinsed of all food and liquid. Containers with food and liquid residue are considered contaminated. Plastic bags are considered contamination. We have been advised that we will be charged $175 per ton if the Township’s recycling has contamination. You may click here to view Waste Management's Recycling Quality Policy letter. Please do your best to comply with the rules. For more information, visit www.recycleoftenrecycleright.com Thank you for your continued efforts!

Township CSA Program

Click the image above to learn more!
UPCOMING & ONGOING EVENTS:

• 4/25 - Waterway and Park Cleanup has been canceled with a reschedule date pending .

• 5/01 - Community Garden Start up has been postponed until further notice .

• FIFTY SMALL TREES FOR NJ HOME GROUNDS

•STYROFOAM COLLECTION DRIVE - The STYRO%20COLLECTION%202020%20-1.jpgWestwood Reg. Middle School Environmental Club conducted a post-Holiday Styrofoam collection drive that was a big success. Prior to the school holiday break, the 6th and 7th grade social studies teachers conducted mini-lessons on the types of Styrofoam that can be recycled. Tom Sears of the Washington Twp. Green Team provided the school with an excellent Styrofoam recycling display which the teachers were able to use tSTYRO%20COLLECTION%202020%20-%202.jpgo help students differentiate between the different types of Styrofoam as well as the hazards of putting Styrofoam into the landfills. Club members posted signs and advertised the Styrofoam drive on the electronic bulletin boards and Principal LaForgia promoted the effort on the school social media outlets. The response from students and faculty was overwhelming and over two large, portable dumpster bags were filled with Styrofoam.

•NEW - STYROFOAM COLLECTION BINstyro%20bin%20web.jpg - The Township of Washington Green Team is starting a new Styrofoam recycling program begining Saturday December 14th. Our Department of Municipal Facilities will now accept EPS foam sheets, coolers and packaging to be recycled during regular operating hours. (Saturdays 9:00 AM-1:00 PM and Tuesdays 7:00 AM-3:00 PM) This program is open to all Township residents (non commercial) for drop off at the DMF yard by ecology permit (DMF sticker) only. This program was funded by a Grant from the State. Please click here for futher information on the types of acceptable styrofoam.

• RECYCLE YOUR OLD CELL PHONES - cell%20phone%20recycle%20bin.jpgThe Township Green Team would like to introduce the Cell Phone E-Cycling Bin located in the lobby of Town Hall. If you have old cell phones, drop them off in the bin and they will be recycled. *Please remember to remove any data on your phone.

The Green Team is always looking for suggestions and support for events (e.g., recipe exchange, gardening group) and outreach (needy, churches, rehabs, etc.) Please email us if you'd like to contribute in any way.