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2021 is the Year of Rethinking Food Waste!
Jersey City is excited to focus this year on rethinking how we approach food waste in our community and how we can reduce wasted food through prevention messaging, rescuing surplus food, and recycling food scraps by composting. We will be highlighting food waste educational materials and strategies that align with the waste goals that are a part of the upcoming Climate and Energy Action Plan draft. The strategies will also complement the City’s Residential Compost Drop-Off Program and Backyard Composting Program. Find out more about how to reduce food waste here.
The City will be supported in this work by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Through its Food Matters Mid-Atlantic Regional Initiative NRDC is providing technical assistance for the development of food waste strategies to the cities of Jersey City, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington, DC. These strategies will help bolster their broader food systems, sustainability, and climate goals. More information on this regional initiative can be found on NRDC’s Food Matters Regional Initiative blog post.
2020 was the Year of Climate Action!
Jersey City is creating its very first Climate Action Plan to reduce community-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In order to engage the public in this process and to raise awareness about climate issues, Jersey City made 2020 the Year of Climate Action.
Projects for the Year of Climate Action included:
2019 was the Year of Sustainable Neighborhoods!
The Year of Sustainable Neighborhoods was an effort to connect residents to community initiatives that foster sustainability at the neighborhood scale. Projects for the Year of Sustainable Neighborhoods included:
The featured initiative of the Year of Sustainable Neighborhoods was a collaboration between the Jersey City Public Schools Curriculum and Instruction Department and the Jersey City Office of Sustainability on a Sustainability STEAM Challenge with Problem-based learning (PBL) that used Science and Visual Arts to address environmental challenges. This citywide initiative was offered to all students Grades K-12. Student teams in Grades 3-12 were challenged to identify and present solutions to sustainability-related issues they identified in their own neighborhoods. K-2 classrooms also participated in the challenge by learning about the issues related to single-use plastic bags and designing reusable bags or artwork for reusable bags. More information on the Sustainability STEAM Challenge can be found at https://sustainablesteamjc.org.
The City of Jersey City declared 2018 its Year of Energy, a city-wide, cross-sector and cross-departmental effort managed by the Office of Sustainability. Over the course of the year there were a number of different initiatives at both the municipal and community level, including:
Throughout the Year of Energy the Office of Sustainability also worked with other City departments and community groups to identify opportunities for future community-level energy initiatives.
In an effort to reduce local flooding and limit pollution of of waterways, Jersey City made 2017 the ‘Year of Water’.
The ‘Year of Water’ was a year-long storm water management initiative that focused on:
1) education and awareness; 2) community action; and 3) building a sustainable foundation for storm water management projects.
Among those activities were:
Other initiatives related to the Year of Water effort included the creation of resiliency planning documents, the introduction of a revised tree ordinance and landscaping requirements, and the development of city-wide forestry standards. Going forward, the Office of Sustainability and its partners will continue working to ensure that green infrastructure is included in future development and to ensure the City’s water infrastructure is prepared to meet residents’ needs for decades to come. Click on the resource pages and videos below for more information on some of the year’s initiatives.
The Year of Water brochure explains stormwater issues in Jersey City and offers tips on how residents can help
This handy infographic explains where JC's water comes from and where it goes
Learn about JC's combined sewer system and what it means for you
Get guidance on green infrastructure and resilient design strategies you can apply to your home