MONTVALE, N.J.—It was a beach of a day in the borough.
A ceremony Aug. 13 honoring Montvale’s Environmental Commission for its recent receipt of 2019’s Adopt a Beach Award from the state Department of Environmental Protection drew applause and chuckles as the commission chair explained why Montvale won such an award, sans a local beach.
“I called up and said, ‘We don’t have a beach. How’d we get this award?’ said chair Robert Hanrahan, of his call to state DEP officials about the award.
“They said you know what, you [earned it] by bringing all residents out on cleanup days, hundreds of people over multiple years,” Hanrahan said officials from the state agency told him.
Hanrahan said those cleanups helped protect area water quality, which ultimately protects other waterways, including the New Jersey shore.
Hanrahan said the “spirit of the award” is Montvale’s environmental efforts “sure have a big effect on everyone downstream” which includes keeping its seven Category One waterways protected and being proactive.
The pristine Category One waterways include Bear Brook, Mill Brook, Laurel Brook, Echo Glen Brook, Pascack Brook, Hillsdale Brook, and Cherry Brook.
According to DEP’s water quality criteria, Category One waters “are protected from any measurable change in water quality because of their exceptional ecological significance, exceptional recreational significance, exceptional water supply significance, or exceptional fisheries resources.”
Hanrahan said the local turnout and support was what NJDEP was recognizing with its Adopt a Beach award.
“That’s really the bottom line why we received the award,” said Hanrahan, who thanked all commission members “as a whole and the residents” for showing up and participating at regular clean-ups and for “giving a darn” about the environment.
Hanrahan said the commission is beginning a new program Sept 15 to help recycle plastic bags in cooperation with Trex, of Winchester, Virginia, manufacturer of recycled plastic decks and railings and other recycled plastics products.
“What we’re doing is we are collecting plastic bags,” he said noting “any plastic that doesn’t crinkle” such as supermarket bags, newspaper delivery bags, and bread bags can be recycled.
Other recyclable plastics include clothes bags from dry cleaners, produce bags, bottled water case shrink wrap, bubble wrap, cereal plastic bags, and sandwich bags.
He said six cardboard collection bins will be placed around town: at the public library, Memorial Elementary and Fieldstone Middle schools, Pascack Hills High School, the recycling center and senior/community center.
He said should Montvale residents recycle 500 pounds of plastic bags at the bins. Trex, which is sponsoring the recycling bins, will donate one recycled plastic bench to Montvale.
Hanrahan said to get 500 pounds of plastic bags residents likely will have to donate approximately 41,000 plastic bags to reach that amount.
“As a point of interest, the average weight of a bag is 5.5 grams so the goal is 41,235 bags needed to reach the 500 pound goal,” said Hanrahan.
Council President Elizabeth Gloeggler, who chaired the meeting in Mayor Michael Ghassali’s absence, said residents should watch Montvale’s local television station, which features an August interview with Hanrahan about local environmental issues and concerns.
There’s still time to do your part. The plastics recycling program runs Sept. 15 through March 15, 2020, Hanrahan said.
