LYNDHURST- The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC) is sponsoring a series of free Green Living programs to help people learn ways to better conserve resources, protect the environment and “green” their life in general. The practical, hands-on public workshops will be held at libraries, stores and other locations throughout the Meadowlands District in the coming months.
The first program, Green Purchasing & Slow Foods, is set for Thursday, Sept. 10 at 11 a.m. at the Kearny Library – across the street from the town’s Farmer’s Market. A Green Home Remodeling Workshop will follow soon after at the Lowe’s home improvement store in East Rutherford. Other events will focus on recycling, sustainable gardening, low-cost home energy audits and other aspects of green living. All programs will include handouts and free samples to help people apply the lessons at home.
“The NJMC has worked hard to encourage green building and sustainable development within Meadowlands municipalities and through the business community, and workshops like this can help the general public benefit from these policies as well,” said Robert Ceberio, Executive Director of the NJMC. “These programs will show how sustainable living makes a positive impact environmentally and economically – and that green living is good living.”
The Green Living events are an outgrowth of the Meadowlands Challenge, a friendly competition that encourages companies to increase recycling, cut energy consumption and otherwise reduce their environmental footprint. The NJMC launched the Meadowlands Challenge in November, with help from the Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce, and 17 businesses have signed up so far.
Funding for the Green Living programs comes from a Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation grant that the NJMC received this spring to help develop programs that promote sustainability. The grant recognizes the NJMC’s commitment to sustainable initiatives that make a positive environmental and economic impact on the region.
On Sept. 10, the Green Purchasing & Slow Foods event will demonstrate the benefits of making eco-friendly choices when shopping for food, household items and other goods and services. Participants will get tips on how to navigate product labels and will learn how to recognize when companies misrepresent or overstate the environmental benefits of a product, a practice known as “greenwashing.”
The event will also feature a slow foods cooking discussion and food tasting, designed to convey first-hand the health and environmental benefits of buying and preparing locally grown, fresh food. The slow foods movement espouses the connection between healthy meals and a healthy planet. All attendees will receive free reusable shopping bags. The Kearny Library is located at 318 Kearny Ave., across the street from the Kearny Farmer’s Market. The market is open on Sept. 10 from noon to 6 p.m..
To register for an NJMC Green Living program and learn more about the series, contact Debbie Lawlor at debbie.lawlor@njmeadowlands.gov or 201-460-4671.
The NJMC has been working directly with businesses and municipalities to promote renewable energy projects, recycling and other aspects of green living. The Commission offers financial and other incentives to developers who design and build sustainable projects.
The Commission is also helping Meadowlands District towns become certified through the state’s Sustainable Jersey Program, which rewards communities that go green with access to grants and other financial incentives. Through its Municipal Solar Assistance Program, the NJMC is helping District municipalities and school districts prepare solar energy plans for their buildings.
The first program, Green Purchasing & Slow Foods, is set for Thursday, Sept. 10 at 11 a.m. at the Kearny Library – across the street from the town’s Farmer’s Market. A Green Home Remodeling Workshop will follow soon after at the Lowe’s home improvement store in East Rutherford. Other events will focus on recycling, sustainable gardening, low-cost home energy audits and other aspects of green living. All programs will include handouts and free samples to help people apply the lessons at home.
“The NJMC has worked hard to encourage green building and sustainable development within Meadowlands municipalities and through the business community, and workshops like this can help the general public benefit from these policies as well,” said Robert Ceberio, Executive Director of the NJMC. “These programs will show how sustainable living makes a positive impact environmentally and economically – and that green living is good living.”
The Green Living events are an outgrowth of the Meadowlands Challenge, a friendly competition that encourages companies to increase recycling, cut energy consumption and otherwise reduce their environmental footprint. The NJMC launched the Meadowlands Challenge in November, with help from the Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce, and 17 businesses have signed up so far.
Funding for the Green Living programs comes from a Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation grant that the NJMC received this spring to help develop programs that promote sustainability. The grant recognizes the NJMC’s commitment to sustainable initiatives that make a positive environmental and economic impact on the region.
On Sept. 10, the Green Purchasing & Slow Foods event will demonstrate the benefits of making eco-friendly choices when shopping for food, household items and other goods and services. Participants will get tips on how to navigate product labels and will learn how to recognize when companies misrepresent or overstate the environmental benefits of a product, a practice known as “greenwashing.”
The event will also feature a slow foods cooking discussion and food tasting, designed to convey first-hand the health and environmental benefits of buying and preparing locally grown, fresh food. The slow foods movement espouses the connection between healthy meals and a healthy planet. All attendees will receive free reusable shopping bags. The Kearny Library is located at 318 Kearny Ave., across the street from the Kearny Farmer’s Market. The market is open on Sept. 10 from noon to 6 p.m..
To register for an NJMC Green Living program and learn more about the series, contact Debbie Lawlor at debbie.lawlor@njmeadowlands.gov or 201-460-4671.
The NJMC has been working directly with businesses and municipalities to promote renewable energy projects, recycling and other aspects of green living. The Commission offers financial and other incentives to developers who design and build sustainable projects.
The Commission is also helping Meadowlands District towns become certified through the state’s Sustainable Jersey Program, which rewards communities that go green with access to grants and other financial incentives. Through its Municipal Solar Assistance Program, the NJMC is helping District municipalities and school districts prepare solar energy plans for their buildings.
