Sustainable Jersey representatives recently announced that the City of Summit has been awarded a Sustainable Jersey Small Grant. Summit is one of just 15 municipalities in New Jersey to receive a Sustainable Jersey Small Grant at the $10,000 level. The 2013 Sustainable Jersey Small Grants Program funded by Walmart is providing $380,000 in grants to local governments for sustainability projects.
“The Sustainable Jersey small grants program gives life to important projects like the Summit Free Market,” says Summit Mayor Ellen Dickson. “We are so thankful for this funding and excited about creating a permanent building to house our reuse program.”
“The Summit Free Market plays an important role in helping Summit residents to reduce their impact on the planet by focusing on reusing materials that may otherwise enter the waste stream,” explained Summit Mayor Ellen Dickson. “This incredibly popular initiative was originally funded through a Sustainable Jersey grant and has continued seasonally in the spring and fall since 2008. There is strong support for creating a permanent building to house the market year round,” Dickson continues. “This grant award is an important next step in making it happen.”
The winners of the grants have projects that provide sustainable solutions to everyday challenges. Organic curbside waste recycling, storm water runoff solutions, innovative bioswales, water conservation, sustainable landscaping, wildlife interaction plan, community gardens and more have been added to the list of initiatives that the Sustainable Jersey Small Grants Program is funding.
“Walmart is incredibly proud of the success of the Sustainable Jersey Small Grant Program,” said Philip Serghini, Director of Public Affairs for Walmart in New Jersey, “In a few short years Walmart has funded over $1 million to the municipalities of our State to advance our commitment to environmental sustainability.”
A core element of the Sustainable Jersey program is to direct funding and resources to municipalities to aid them in making progress. Currently, 70 percent of New Jersey’s towns and cities (398 towns across all 21 counties) have registered to become Sustainable Jersey certified. “The impact that these projects will make in New Jersey is incredible,” said Pam Mount, Chair of the Sustainable Jersey Board of Trustees. “Aiding towns and Green Teams to achieve their sustainability goals by funding green initiatives will have a ripple effect that will benefit us all.”
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