EnviroPolitics Blog

Free WasteWise session highlights successful recycling programs

Join the New Jersey WasteWise Business Network for a Zoom webinar, on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

Cost: There is no fee charged to attend this webinar or any of our WasteWise events!

Agenda:

10:00 a.m. Welcome – Steve Rinaldi, Chair, New Jersey WasteWise Business Network/NJDEP, Bureau of Sustainability

10:10 a.m. Booksmiles Donation Program – Advancing the Causes of Reading and Reuse – Larry Abrams, Founder and Executive Director, Booksmiles

10:30 a.m. Innovative Reuse and Recycling Programs Emanating from the Plastic Bag Ban – Reusable Bag Program – Renee Lundahl, Co-Founder, GOATOTE; and Plastic Film Recycling Program – Stuart Newman, Union County Recycling Coordinator

10:55 a.m. “TerraCycle Home” and TerraCycle’s Cigarette Waste Recycling Program – Eric Ascalon, Global Director of Community Development & Strategic Partnerships for TerraCycle

11:15 a.m. Bergen New Bridge Medical Center’s Food Waste Reduction Initiatives and Other Successful Waste Reduction and Recycling Initiatives – Scott Kolvek, Director Environmental Health and Safety, Bergen New Bridge Medical Center and Sabyn Matli, Director Food and Nutrition, Bergen New Bridge Medical Center

11:35 a.m. Q&A

11:45 p.m. Adjourn

Note for NJ Certified Recycling Professionals– Those individuals who are NJ Certified Recycling Professionals will earn 1.5 recertification credits for attending this meeting! FYI, the webinar’s 1.5 credits will be split 50-50 between meeting and classroom credits.

Register here After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

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Cash-saving break for NYC landlords not pleasing anyone

The city’s carbon footprint won’t shrink as fast as advocates would like after the DOB’s latest tweak to the landmark climate legislation

BY AARON SHORT, Commercial Observer, Oct. 4, 2023

New York City’s most wasteful high-rises won’t have to sweat paying hefty fines next year thanks to what is effectively a last-minute rule change to a landmark climate law.

Still, many landlords aren’t satisfied by the lucky break. Many environmentalists aren’t, either.

The city Department of Buildings (DOB) announced in early September it will allow a two-year grace period for towers to demonstrate they are on track to meet the city’s new carbon emissions standard set by Local Law 97, part of climate legislation the City Council passed in 2019.

“We believe that the decarbonization plan will be an attractive option for buildings that have done little or nothing so far to comply with the law, and are significantly over their carbon emissions limit, as it gives them additional time to start these retrofit projects,” Andrew Rudansky, a spokesperson for the Buildings Department, said in an email to Commercial Observer.

The city’s move came after condo and co-op associations complained for months during several DOB-led working group meetings that they could not line up the financing to replace boilers, swap out windows or make other upgrades to lower greenhouse gas output by the department’s January 2024 deadline.

Read the full story here

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On-site solar powers Duke Farms’ E-Vehicle quick-charge station

By Nora DiChiara, Duke Farms

Hillsborough, NJ – Duke Farms, a center of the Doris Duke Foundation, is proud to open the state’s first electric vehicle (EV) fast charging station in Somerset County powered by electricity from an on-site solar energy system. Located along the busy Route 206 corridor, this facility will serve Duke Farms visitors and the local community while also supporting EV drivers passing through the area. The project will not only help Duke Farms reduce its carbon footprint but also contribute to the clean energy and climate goals of the state.

“The new EV charging station, powered by our on-site solar array, demonstrates our commitment to sustainability leadership. By investing in this critical infrastructure and pursuing innovative public-private partnerships, we are accelerating the transition to clean transportation,” said Margaret Waldock, executive director of Duke Farms. “We hope this project will encourage others to take bold steps towards emission-free mobility as well. The climate crisis demands urgent action, and Duke Farms is proud to help lead the way to support creative, transformative solutions for a more sustainable and equitable future.”

With two high-speed chargers capable of delivering 150kW of charging power, drivers can add over 130 miles of range in just 15 minutes. Additional lower power chargers will support the needs of other drivers with more extended stays at Duke Farms. The station has been future-proofed for expansion as EV adoption grows, with the number of EVs on the road expected to triple in the next few years. Duke Farms is demonstrating climate leadership by investing in this critical infrastructure.

This station is one of the first in New Jersey to combine powerful utility incentives from PSE&G with grant funding from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection. Solar panels on-site will supply 100% of the electricity needed for the chargers.

Peg Hanna, Director of the NJDEP Division of Climate Change Mitigation and Monitoring shares excitement regarding the charger. “The DEP commends Duke Farms on the opening of this fast-charger station, which is a natural fit for a place that has long stood for environmental stewardship and sustainability. In addition to being ideally situated within the Route 206 corridor, the location for this station provides amenities such as restrooms and a café amid a beautiful natural setting. Projects such as this bring us one step closer to achieving Governor Murphy’s bold, nation-leading clean energy goals that will lead to a healthier, sustainable, and more resilient future for New Jersey.”

Read the full story here

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New ‘microforests’ grow in the city of Elizabeth, NJ

New ‘microforests’ grow in Elizabeth

A pair of “microforests” have taken root in Elizabeth, planted by community groups and local officials hoping to bring new environmental and public health benefits to the city.

The concept, which was first developed in Japan decades ago, is just now catching on in the U.S. The forests, planted on small lots, are designed to be self-sufficient ways to boost tree canopy in urban areas. The trees help lower ambient temperatures — fighting against the urban heat-island effect — help improve local air quality and act as a barrier to stormwater runoff.

See the video here

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Attention Aspiring Food Entrepreneurs

Rutgers University has an informational event for you

Food Business Basics for Food Entrepreneurs
The Food Innovation Center at Rutgers is offering a Food Business Basics session for early-stage entrepreneurs on Thursday, November 2, 2023, from 8:00 am – 5:30 pm at the Rutgers Eco Complex, 1200 Florence Columbus Road, Bordentown, NJ 08505.

Food Business Basics is a unique opportunity for food entrepreneurs to learn critical aspects of entering or growing their business in the prepared food and beverage industry. Attendees will be in front of movers and shakers working in the industry, who will give advice on how to create, commercialize, market, and sell in this competitive market.

Find information on consumer trends, accounting basics, business structure, product development, scale-up, protecting intellectual property, sales strategy, food safety, and more.

Registration fee:
Early bird registration $200 (until 10/19/23)
Regular registration $300 (until 10/30/23)
REGISTER HERE https://ce-catalog.rutgers.edu/coursedisplay.cfm?schID=90443

About the Food Innovation Center at Rutgers University
The Food Innovation Center is a unique food business incubation and economic development program, which is part of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Our Center provides business and technology expertise to startup and established food and value-added agricultural businesses, locally and globally. We operate out of two USDA and FDA-certified manufacturing facilities located in Piscataway and Bridgeton, NJ, facilitating the commercialization of products into distribution, while also providing mentoring assistance in marketing, R&D, food safety, regulatory, manufacturing, and sales and distribution.
http://foodinnovation.rutgers.edu/

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Joe Fiordaliso, NJ Board of Public Utilities President, dies at 78

New Jersey Board of Public Utilities President Joseph Fiordaliso. (Photo: New Jersey AFL-CIO).

By David Wildstein, NJ Globe, September 07 2023 4:24 am

Joseph A. Fiordaliso, the president of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and a fixture in New Jersey politics for two decades, died at his home suddenly on Wednesday evening. He was 78.

As a cabinet member, Fiordaliso was a key ally of Gov. Phil Murphy on clean energy issues. In July, Fiordaliso backed a measure to reduce the state’s dependency on natural gas and move toward expanded electrification over the next twelve years.

In a statement this morning, Murphy called Fiordaliso “a consummate public servant, a trusted colleague, and a good friend.”

“As President of the BPU since the beginning of my Administration, Joe skillfully led our work to responsibly transition to a clean energy economy while always putting the needs of consumers first. He also was a key figure in our storm response efforts and in ensuring that all New Jerseyans had access to critical services like clean water, electricity, and broadband. And, as a former three-time Mayor of Livingston and member of the Township Council, he was a dedicated member of his community,” Murphy said. “Every time you saw Joe, he was wearing his signature offshore wind pin or handing one out to anyone and everyone he met. He had an infectious personality and generous spirit. Tammy and I will miss his wise counsel and friendship. May he Rest in Peace.”

Fiordaliso launched his political career in 1988, winning an open seat on the Livingston Township Council. Livingston voters supported Republicans George H.W. Bush for president and Dean Gallo for Congress, but also Democratic U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg. Fiordaliso led Republican Steve Rockoff by 2,248 votes in an election that flipped two council seats.

Read the full story here

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