The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has recognized ten businesses, organizations, and individuals with the 2024 Recycling Champion Awards. These awards celebrate significant achievements in sustainability that encourage others to reduce waste and repurpose items.
Among the honorees is NJBIA member PSE&G, an energy company noted for recycling or reusing nearly all its generated waste. Other recipients include a nonprofit focused on reducing food waste by distributing meals to families in need, a middle school combating plastic waste through education and recycling efforts, and a business that diverted over 10 million pounds of secondhand clothing from landfills.
The awards ceremony took place at Jumping Brook Country Club in Neptune alongside the annual recycling symposium hosted by the Association of New Jersey Recyclers (ANJR).
"Since 1987, when New Jersey became the first state to require recycling, our state has consistently delivered forward-looking solutions to improve recycling programs and enhance sustainable practices," stated DEP Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette. "We would not be a national leader if not for those constantly seeking to refine and innovate how we recycle."
New Jersey achieved an overall recycling rate of 54%, according to recent data. Utilizing recycled materials typically requires less energy than processing raw materials, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, reusing items decreases landfill waste, which emits methane—a contributor to climate change.
The 2024 Recycling Award winners include:
**Business:** Public Service Electric & Gas (PSE&G) reused over 2,500 tons of timber wetland mats in 2023 and donated reusable items while providing recycling buckets for field operations.
**Government:** Old Bridge Township collects various non-traditional recyclables like mattresses and appliances, promotes its programs through multiple channels, and hosts paper shredding events annually.
**Leadership:** Sustainable Maple Shade runs innovative recycling programs such as costume swaps and participates in the NexTrex Recycling Challenge.
Gary Sondermeyer was acknowledged for his influential role in shaping New Jersey’s recycling policies during his three-decade public service career.
**Rising Star:** Share My Meals combats food insecurity by redistributing surplus meals; it recovered 62,000 meals in 2023 alone.
**Outstanding Educator/Educational Program:** Riverside Middle School excelled in the NexTrex Recycling Challenge by collecting 2,375 pounds of plastic film and expanding its initiative into the local business community.
**Recycling Industry:** Helpsy collected over 12.3 million pounds of textiles in 2023 while educating the public about textile reuse.
**Source Reduction/Resource Management/Sustainability:** Booksmiles recovers approximately 94 tons of used books monthly for distribution locally and internationally.
Morris and Sussex Counties' Boat Shrink Wrap Recycling Programs effectively diverted recyclable plastic from landfills with support from partners like UltraPoly Corporation.
**Volunteer Citizen:** Linda Weih led community efforts in Delanco to collect over 2,600 pounds of plastic bags for recycling as part of the NexTrex Challenge.
