Madison Wins 'Sustainability Champion' Award

Madison is the "Sustainability Champion" among medium-sized towns in New Jersey, Sustainable Jersey announced Monday.

Winners were selected from 59 municipalities that achieved Sustainable Jersey certification in 2013, according to the announcement from the organization, a nonprofit that supports community efforts to reduce waste and cut greenhouse gas emissions, among other goals.

Madison's category includes towns with populations ranging from 5,000 to under 40,000.

Sustainable Jersey's certification program requires towns to earn 150 points for bronze-level certification by implementing various programs. The 2013 Sustainability Champion award winners earned points far exceeding the minimum:

• SUSTAINABILITY CHAMPION (LARGE CATEGORY) with 870 points: Woodbridge Township (Middlesex County)
• SUSTAINABILITY CHAMPION (MEDIUM CATEGORY) with 465 points: Madison Borough (Morris County)
• SUSTAINABILITY CHAMPION (SMALL CATEGORY) with 390 points: Bordentown City (Burlington County)

 Special award winners are:

• LEADERSHIP AWARD:  Galloway Township (Atlantic County)
• CREATIVITY & INNOVATION AWARD: Rahway City (Union County)
• COLLABORATION AWARD: Maplewood, Millburn and South Orange (Essex County)

“These eight towns have demonstrated sustainability initiatives that are producing tangible results worthy of emulation as they contribute to improving the future and New Jersey’s quality of life," said Randall Solomon, co-director of Sustainable Jersey.

Mayors are expected to accept the awards at a luncheon Tuesday.

Madison Mayor Bob Conley said in the news release Madison's involvement in Sustainable Jersey was a town-wide effort and the borough took its involvement seriously.

"Madison is a great place to live now; we have taken the Sustainable Jersey program seriously because we intend to be a great place to live in the years ahead too," he said. "Winning the Sustainability Champion award makes me proud because this is a town-wide effort, involving the residents, the Council, and the employees."

Sustainable Jersey provides tools, training and grants to support and reward communities as they pursue sustainability programs. Participating is voluntary and each town can choose the actions it takes to earn enough points to get certified. Currently, 399 of New Jersey’s 565 municipalities are participating and 137 municipalities have achieved certification, the organization says.

Sustainable Jersey’s partners include the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, The Sustainability Institute at The College of New Jersey, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.