In the News

Beer Goes Green. Anheuser-Busch, the nation's largest brewer, is offering two organic beers. Wild Hop Lager and Stone Mill Pale Ale are made from certified organic barley and malt and labeled with recycled paper. In addition, the company recycles 97% of its solid waste and 15% of its fuel comes from renewable energy sources.

Cow Manure & Your Home. Who would have thunk it - cow manure being used in the walls of your home. Researchers looking for ways to recycle the 2 trillion pounds of manure generated in the U.S. each year are saying just that. Seems the manure, once processed & sterilized, makes a fiber better and stronger than sawdust that can be used in products ranging from fiberboard to furniture to flooring.

Cross Acceptance & You. Cross acceptance is the process underway across New Jersey through which the public is able to participate in and provide input in land-use designations by the state that may very well result in the protection of thousands of acres of open space and critical waterways. Check with your freeholder board or county planning office to find out when your public hearing will be held.  Round III of Cross Acceptance is being finalized now, with the final State Plan and Map due out at the end of 2007.

Dry Cleaning Goes Green. 85% of dry cleaners in the U.S. use perchloroethylene, a chemical that pollutes the air, soil and water and causes cancer. New, green, methods of dry cleaning are emerging. Wet cleaning uses water and biodegradable detergents, liquid CO² (the same solvent that removes caffeine from coffee) launders all types of dry-clean-only garments, and liquid silicone mixed with detergent is safe on all fabrics.

“E” Waste. Electronic waste accounts for up to 2.9 million tons of trash in landfills each year.  Electronic devices are loaded with lead, chromium and mercury, all of which seep can contaminate soil and groundwater. Reuse, recycle or donate your old electronics instead of throwing them away. For ideas, click here or try this link www.recyclefirst.com.

Sprinkler Systems. Did you know you can use sprinklers that produce droplets - not mist - to save water? Or that sprinkler systems can be purchased with rain shut-off devices and moisture sensors? Water-efficient irrigation systems help to waste less water and save more than 11 billion gallons of water p/year - equal to the amount of water used by 3,200 garden hoses flowing constantly for one year!

Washing Machines & Water. The average washing machine uses 40.9 gallons of water per load. High-efficiency washing machines use less than 27 gallons of water per load. And, they can be cheaper and smaller in size. If your washer is on the fritz, consider replacing it with a high-efficiency model.

Wastewater = Drinking Water. Logan Township (Gloucester County) is proposing to turn wastewater into drinking water. By retrofitting its wastewater treatment plant to reprocess wastewater into potable water, the town hopes to produce 750,000 gallons of drinking water per day. That is enough water to service 340 homes.

Water Shortages in U.S. In a 2006 EPA survey, 36 states including New Jersey responded that they are anticipating local, regional, or statewide water shortages by 2013. That is only 6 years away. Public demand for water has increased by 209% since the 1950s, while the available sources of potable drinking water have not. The demand has created premature stress on water delivery systems, requiring maintenance and replacement at a more frequent rate. Seems the idea of a water tax in New Jersey may not be so far fetched.