Many towns across New Jersey chose New Year’s Day as the time to ditch plastic bags. The towns are part of a growing sustainability movement across the Garden State to cut back on plastic waste. Under new rules adopted at the October freeholders meeting, Camden County has banned single-use plastic bags, plastic utensils. Additionally, styrofoam food containers and single-serve disposable plastic water bottles - that come in bottles smaller than one liter - will no longer be allowed in county facilities or at county-sponsored events. "The research speaks for itself on the impact of plastics to our oceans, wildlife, and other natural resources," Camden County Freeholder Jonathan Young, liaison to the Office of Sustainability, said. "We cannot deny reality any longer and must begin taking whatever steps we have to reduce our reliance on these harmful materials. The Board is committed to finding environmentally-friendly alternatives that can serve the same functions at a fraction of the cost to our planet's health." 

Thank you to Merchantville School Class of 2019 who donated a Water Bottle filling station that has already helped to saved our local environment from more than 2,000 plastic bottles. Elkay's bottle filling stations provide convenient hydration with a rapid fill of filtered water to quench thirst and minimize plastic bottle waste in the environment. Students can now fill up using water bottles that are eco-friendly and, at the same time, promote healthy choices by reducing the consumption of sugary drinks. The addition of this filling station will generate enthusiasm for school-wide sustainability, improve the overall health of students and reduce the number of disposable water bottles used at the school. Bottled water is the second most popular beverage in the United States and currently, only 20% of disposable water bottles are recycled. Plastic water bottles take a large amount of petroleum to make and transport and, up to 700 years to biodegrade.

Come grab a drink with neighbors and a variety of borough green organizations that are helping to create a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable community. Groups that will be present include: Merchantville's Green Team, Merchantville's Garden Club, Incredible Edible Merchantville, Merchantville's Shade Tree Commission, Mayor and Borough Council, MES Garden Club, MES Junior Green Team. From from 6-8 p.m. members of these stakeholder groups will host a social gathering on the Community Center deck - a perfect opportunity to mingle and network with these community volunteers over drinks and light fare. At 8 p.m. Merchantville's Green Team will lead a joint stakeholder meeting to share current sustainability plans, describe future projects and solicit YOUR ideas and feedback. From recycling to roofless solar energy to pollinating plants and land stewardship - we’ll have it all at this event. So come see how YOU can help your community become a little cleaner, greener, and more sustainable! Limit: 100. Register for your free ticket here.

As winter is upon us, eventually our chickens will molt and we will be hard pressed to find enough eggs to make breakfast on a Sunday morning . . . So what to do? Even though it might not sound like a difficult job, freezing fresh eggs has come to be somewhat of a skill. Merchantville-Pennsauken Backyard Chickens shares what everyone, who has their own hens, needs to know. Having some eggs ready for an omelet or french toast in winter is always good and eggs are not frozen whole. You will need to crack your eggs into an ice cube tray - preferably silicone. The Prairie Homestead shows you all there is to know about how to easily freeze fresh eggs - separately or together - in just a few minutes. 

The documentary, Petty’s Island: A Journey Back to Nature will be presented tonight, October 1st, from 7:00 - 8:45 p.m. at Pennsauken Library. This 22-minute film highlights the history of the Island, from its first inhabitants, to the environmental transformation currently taking place. Petty’s Island is a piece of land situated on the Delaware River between Philadelphia and Camden - but technically a part of Pennsauken Township. For over 100 years, this Island was owned by Citgo and utilized for industrial purposes. In the early 2000’s, however, a bald eagle nest was found on the Island, forever changing its fate.The goal of the film is to inform others about the rich history of this land, and the educational and recreational activities that will soon be available to all, especially local residents.

Transportation is the greatest source of greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants in New Jersey and the U.S. Electric vehicles can be game-changers when it comes to cleaning our air and reducing the cost of driving. The future of electric transportation is evolving rapidly, and PSEG wants to help it move along. Our utility’s NJ Clean Energy Future proposal supports the deployment of nearly 40,000 electric vehicle chargers across New Jersey. The obstacle that keeps millions of car-buyers from making the switch to plug-in vehicles is not the price, nor performance, nor the availability of an EV that meets their needs. It’s the lack of convenient access to charging stations.