Mercer Times

The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) has been awarded a $42,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection under the Recycling Enhancement Act Grant. The funding is allocated for conducting a comprehensive waste and recycling audit on campus.

This initiative will be primarily executed by students participating in fieldwork, aiming to provide reliable baseline data on TCNJ's current waste management practices. Paul Romano, the senior director of sustainability and energy management at TCNJ, stated that "the majority of the funds will be used to employ students in the development of new methods to increase awareness of the issues and develop practical strategies for waste reduction consistent with our Campus as a Living Lab efforts." He added that understanding what is being disposed of will help identify opportunities for reducing waste and diverting it from common waste streams.

The project includes significant outreach and educational components. It involves creating green teams that offer hands-on experience to students working alongside contracted engineers to select campus buildings for waste sample analysis.

TCNJ is among six public higher education institutions in New Jersey receiving this grant. These institutions aim to form a collaborative partnership focused on enhancing decarbonization efforts and improving their waste management systems.

Romano emphasized the value of this grant by saying, "This grant will provide us the objective basis by which to compare ourselves to other higher education institutions here in the state and measure our progress to reduce avoidable waste and assure the appropriate disposal to minimize environmental impact."

Further details about TCNJ's waste management and recycling initiatives can be found on their facilities management website.