In honor of the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, the Cumberland County Improvement Authority (CCIA) reminds you that there are still plenty of ways to celebrate and give back environmentally while practicing proper social distancing techniques.
• Review your local recycling guidelines. Recycling is an important process of our everyday lives. Items such as plastic bags, hoses, plastic toys, clothes and food waste are not recyclable. These items are hazardous to the recycling facility. Cumberland County recycling guidelines can be found at: ccia-net.com/environmental/recycling-program/accepted-items/.
• Start a “Future Donation” pile for items you find while cleaning out your house. By providing a second life for your gently used items, you keep unnecessary items out of the landfill. You may even find these items can be repaired instead of thrown out.
• Collect the seeds from fruits and vegetables such as strawberries, apples, tomatoes, and peppers and replant them. Seeds can be harvested from fruits and vegetables and grown in planters inside the house until it is time to plant them outside. If you don’t have any empty planters, water bottles make a wonderful upcycled planter.
• Set aside an hour on Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22, to power down your electronics. As a family take this hour to spend time together. Board games, hide and seek, reading or time in your backyard are ways to enjoy your time electronic free.
• Finally, remind your neighbors and community of the importance of Earth Day by placing hand drawn signs in your window for all to see—including us! Send Loretta Pregartner, County Clean Communities Coordinator, pictures of your decorated windows to [email protected] and she’ll post them on our social media.
In addition to its environmental related initiatives, the CCIA is responsible for the development, financing and project management of projects and programs most vital to sustaining the economic and environmental future of Cumberland County and the state of New Jersey. The CCIA works in tandem with the Cumberland County Board of Chosen Freeholders to foster greater economic growth, business development and quality of life for all Cumberland County residents.
