REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE NJ STATE LEGISLATURE A DECADE OF SUCCESS 2003 – 2013 2013 03 “We are extremely grateful to the New Jersey State Legislature for supporting the Clean Communities Program since inception in 1986...” T O GOVERNOR CHRIS CHRISTIE AND MEMBErs OF THE NEW JERSEY STATE LEGISLATURE, The Trustees of the New Jersey Clean Communities Council are extremely grateful to the New Jersey State Legislature for supporting the Clean Communities Program since inception in 1986 with the passage of the Clean Communities Act. Funding provides for municipal and county litter abatement programs, litter pick up in state parks, and the statewide program of public information and education that includes a media campaign aimed at sustaining a reduction in litter. We are delighted this year to celebrate a decade of success. Since 2003, more than 400,000 volunteers have picked up and recycled about 700,000 tons of trash from 230,000 miles and 426,000 acres of public property. We have reached 3.5 million people with Clean Communities messages. In 2011, we assumed responsibility for New Jersey’s Adopt-a-Beach program. In 2012, we partnered with the NJ Department of Transportation to create a volunteer Adopt- A-Highway program. We are deeply grateful to the team of county coordinators who developed and annually update the Best Practices in Clean Communities CD. Enclosed is the Report to the Governor and Legislature. The report highlights the activities of the Clean Communities Council from 2003-2013, including specific information on contracts SHW11-006 and SHW12-004 as required by law. The report was published following the collection of data from the 2011 statistical reports and completion of the 2012 DEP contract. Respectfully submitted, N ew Jersey Clean Communities Council Board of Trustees Patrick L. Ryan, Esq., President Linda Doherty Jack Sworaski Hopewell Valley Community Bank New Jersey Food Council Camden County Barbara McConnell, Vice President JoAnn Gemenden Diana Vigilante MBI-GluckShaw Union County Somerset County John Minton, Vice President Ismael Montanez Patrick L. Ryan, Esq. Honorary Trustees Monmouth County New Brunswick President James Morford Judy Murphy, Secretary Edward Nieliwocki New Jersey Food Council (retired) Morris County (retired) New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Robert Pellet Paul N. Bontempo, Treasurer Coleman Pellet (retired) MBI-GluckShaw Richard Sandner Covanta Energy Corporation Albert Fralinger, III PSE&G Matthew Spayth New Jersey Department of Treasury OVERVIEW The New Jersey Clean Communities • Established a clearinghouse of • Released a statewide visual litter survey New Jersey Clean Communities is a Council is a 501c3 nonprofit corporation information based on data collected from to determine the most effective ways to grassroots, community-driven program whose mission is to use education to municipal and county statistical reports, reduce litter, the first survey conducted created to reduce litter in the Garden change the attitudes that cause littering. augmented in 2006 with the creation of a since 1989. State. It has been one of the most popular The Council was first organized in 1988 as Best Practices Manual in CD format. The programs administered by the State of an advisory committee to the state Clean CD has been revised and updated in each • Established a state Urban Cleanup Team New Jersey since its inception in 1986, Communities Program, then located in the of the six subsequent years. for towns with dense populations where when the Clean Communities Act was first Department of Environmental Protection. litter tends to accumulate. • Re-established the student awards signed into law. During the 1990s, the state of New Jersey faced a severe budget shortfall that virtually program popular in the 1990s, and • Created in 2009 a Slam Dunk the Junk renamed it Kids-Teens for Clean The Clean Communities Act provides eliminated the positions and personnel that media campaign to enhance educational Communities; created the Environmental funding for a comprehensive litter provided oversight and public education activities and sustain a reduction of litter. Student Exchange program to promote abatement program by placing a user-fee for the program. The advisory committee, environmental education and the exchange • Assumed responsibility for the state on businesses that may produce litter- determined to continue these services, of ideas. Adopt a Beach program in the spring generating products. The user-fee results sought, and in September 1995, received nonprofit status as the New Jersey Clean of 2011. in a fund of about $18 million each year with • Created an Environmental Ambassadors Communities Council. When the Act was about $16 million being disbursed directly to program to honor students for leadership, passed once again in 2002, the Clean • Assumed responsibility for Adopt-a- municipalities and counties for grassroots community service and committment to the Communities Council received a grant Highway program in 2012. litter-abatement programs. environment. of $300,000 to continue the work of An Executive Director, Director of The program is managed by the educating residents. The passage of the • Re-established the awards program Constituent Relations, Manager of departments of Environmental Protection Recycling Enhancement Act in January of that had been an integral part of Clean Operations, Adopt-a-Highway Coordinator and Treasury, in conjunction with the New 2008 increased funding to provide for a Communities since the first Make and Executive Assistant are employed by Jersey Clean Communities Council. media campaign that would help to sustain New Jersey Glitter awards luncheon in the Clean Communities Council. a reduction in litter. The Council receives 1989. Spring conferences and awards $375,000 every year. programs have been hosted by the Clean Communities Council for eight years. Over the past eight years, the Council... • Opened an office at 479 West State Municipalities 80% Street in Trenton and hired personnel to manage the state program. The Council relocated in 2010 to 222 West State Street in Trenton. DEP 10% • Re-established the network of municipal Counties and county coordinators that supports 10% the state program; created an education program designed especially for coordinators, including regional workshops offered in the fall of every year. $375,000 NJ Clean Communities Council 4 5 LITTER SURVEY KIDS-TEENS 2005 Budget Report In the fall of 2003, the Clean Communities The Clean Communities Council, in its first FOR ClEAN Consultants ____________________ $ 15,000 year of operation, released a statewide, Council hosted the first Gateway Cleanup Other ___________________________$4,000 visual litter survey that would become the in Newark. The cleanup was based on a COMMUNITIES Rent ____________________________$7,000 basis for the program over the next five model created by the City of Trenton in the 2005 marked the year of the first Kids- Telephone _______________________$2,000 1980s. By 2004, the Clean Communities years. Teens for Clean Communities Student Insurance _______________________$9,000 Council officially launched the state Urban Awards Program, held on May 23 at the Postage ________________________ $2,000 Cleanup Team to address excessive Oyster Point Hotel in Red Bank. The The litter survey was conducted by Supplies ________________________ $1,000 Gershman, Brickner & Bratton (GBB) in accumulations of litter in urban areas and Clean Communities Council partnered with Equipment ______________________ $ 4,000 conjunction with the Institute of Applied foster grassroots community participation local organizations to offer workshops Printing ________________________$22,000 Research. GBB concluded: in the program. In 2004, Atlantic City, for students on oyster bedding, diving for Elizabeth, Irvington, and Paterson joined trash, and water pollution. The student Special Events __________________$80,000 • New Jersey’s urban roadways appear Newark and Trenton as members of the awards program was held on the first day Travel ___________________________$9,000 more littered than roadways in rural areas, team. To date, 20 towns participate. of the Clean Communities Conference, Miscellaneous ___________________$2,000 and that urban roadways show twice the establishing a format for conferences in Salaries & Related Expenses ____$143,000 accumulation of litter than in other states It was not until the passage of the years to come. ________________________________________ surveyed.New Jersey’s rural roadways Recycling Enhancement Act in 2008 that $300,000 appear cleaner than those in other states. the Clean Communities Council was funded This first awards program attracted 200 to carry out a media campaign. Slam Dunk students and teachers who accepted • 75% of people deliberately littering along the Junk was launched at the annual Clean awards and participated in workshops. urban roadways are males between Communities conference on May 19, 2009 Attendance at the student awards program the ages of six and 24; people littering in Newark. has increased dramatically over the past deliberately along freeways and rural six years; 1,800 students, teachers and roadways are between the ages of 11 and 2003-2004 Budget Report volunteers with participating every year. Consultants ______________________$8,000 24. 2005 Business Contracts _______________________$65,000 Kids-Teens for Clean Communities Partnership Award • The largest category of visible litter at Other