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Greener Jc

Supporting a more sustainable future in Jersey City

Supporting a more sustainable future in Jersey CitySupporting a more sustainable future in Jersey City

Greener JC Green Business ToolKit

Purpose of the Toolkit:

Greener JC’s Green Business toolkit aims to aid local businesses in Jersey City with becoming more sustainable through grants, education, and outreach specifically around the areas of waste and energy. The web page provides information to help businesses make changes (large or small), become more sustainable, and prepare for new ordinances such as the city-wide plastic ban!


Greener JC offers many resources in the Toolkit: 

  • Energy Efficiency 
  • Jersey City Green Business Certification information
  • New state plastic ban law 
  • How to reduce waste, conserve water, and curb energy usage 
  • Community Solar Program (PSEG)

GREEN BUSINESS COMMUNITY EVENT

On October 23, 2021 a Virtual Green Business Community Event was held via ZOOM. The event provide local business an opportunity to network and local experts lead conversations surrounding Green Business Practices 101, plastic reduction, and how to become a Certified Green Business in Jersey City. 

Event Recording

Jersey City's Green Business Certification

APPLY HERE

Improving Business Sustainability- Resources

Evaluate your Business

Evaluate your Business

Evaluate your Business

Evaluate your business’s current sustainability initiatives and locate areas that need improvement. 


See where your business stands

Reduce Energy

Evaluate your Business

Evaluate your Business

Reducing energy usage both helps your business become more sustainable and save you money! 



Find out more

Reduce Food Waste

Evaluate your Business

Reduce Plastic & Waste

America wastes roughly 40 million tons of food per year. The majority of this goes to landfills, taking up 22% of landfill space. Help improve your environmental footprint by taking steps to reduce food waste through food waste reduction, food donation, and composting.

Find out more

Reduce Plastic & Waste

Reduce Plastic & Waste

Reduce Plastic & Waste

One way to help the environment is to reduce waste to landfills. By reducing waste, your business can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save money, and become a green certified business. Shift business model to reduce and reuse!

Find out more

Reduce Water

Reduce Plastic & Waste

Reduce Water

Water saving techniques are a great way to save money and help to maintain the water within our rivers and bays which lead to keeping the environment healthy. 


Reducing water consumption can reduce our greenhouse gas emissions as it avoids the energy we need to generate to heat and provide water to consumers. Help make sure that using water remains a “human right” and not a luxury!

Find out more

Evaluate Your Business & Understand NJ Opportunities- Part 1

Help From the US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)

  • Describes opportunities and actions that small businesses can take, NJ falls under a competitive market
  • https://www.epa.gov/resources-small-businesses

NJ DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) Resources

Provides guides with specific resources for all types of businesses

  • https://www.nj.gov/dep/aqes/sustain_bus.html

NJ Community Asset Map

  • https://www.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=96ec274c50a34890b23263f101e4ad9b 

Urban Zone Enterprise Program Resource

  • Provides information and benefits on how businesses can save through the state of NJ
  • https://www.nj.gov/dca/affiliates/uez/ 

Educational Institutions

  • https://anjr-school.com/ 

Reduce Energy Consumption- PaRT 2

NJ Direct Install Program

Apply for the NJ Direct Install program through PSEG to lower your energy consumption and increase your savings with energy efficiency upgrades such as lighting and HVAC.   Solutions are tailored to your industry and business needs. 

  • https://www.njcleanenergy.com/di


Small Business Energy Efficiency Stimulus Program

 This program provide grants for the repair, maintenance, upgrade, replacement, and installation of certain HVAC systems, and the installation of energy efficient and water-conserving appliances to improve air quality and energy performance in school districts and small businesses, especially woman and minority owned in underserved communities. The program pays for up to 75% of the cost to repair and/or replace equipment!  

  • https://njcleanenergy.com/school-and-small-business-energy-efficiency-stimulus-program


Join Community Solar

Receive 10%-15% in monthly energy savings and support clean and local power!

  • https://greenerjc.org/community-solar

Useful Step by Step on how to conserve energy

  • https://www.srpnet.com/energy/biztips.aspx

Lighting Choices to Save You Money

  • https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/save-electricity-and-fuel/lighting-choices-save-you-money 

25+ Energy Saving Tips

  • Educate employees on turning lights off when rooms are not in use, keeping refrigerators closed, and keeping lights in bathrooms off. 
  • https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/20-energy-saving-tips-reduce-business-energy-costs.php 

REduce Food WAste- Part 3

Food Services Resources- A consultation for food businesses to work with reusable practices

  • “Too Good To Go” - https://toogoodtogo.org/en/movement/businesses
  • “Rts”- https://www.rts.com/ 
  • “Rethink”- https://www.rethinkfood.org/
  • “Replate” - https://www.replate.org/ 
  • “Ag Choice Organics Recycling”- http://www.ag-choice.com/ 
  • https://www.rescuingleftovercuisine.org/ 

Consider composting food scraps!

  • Community Compost for compost container and removal: https://www.communitycompostco.co
  • Green Bucket Compost-https://greenbucketcompost.com/
  • NJ COMPOSTING COUNCIL INFO: https://njcomposting.com/
  • Composter for businesses (20-400 lbs): https://www.ecorichenv.com/commercial-composter 
  • "The Eco Fairy” - https://theecofairy.com/ 

Consider donating food to Community Fridges

Companies who donate fit and wholesome food can receive tax deductions and are protected under the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act of 1996: https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2020/07/08/federal-incentives-businesses-donate-food 


  • West Side Community Fridge: https://www.instagram.com/westsidecommunityfridge/?hl=en
  • Jersey City Heights Fridge: jcheightscommunityfridge@gmail.com
  • https://www.facebook.com/jcheightscommunityfridge/ 

See if the new Solid Waste Law will impact your business

As of October 14th 2021, NJ companies that produce at least 52 tons of food waste per year will be required to separate the food waste from solid waste and send to food recycling centers or compost the food waste on site. 


See more informaiton here: https://www.newjerseylawyersblog.com/new-jerseys-new-mandate-for-food-waste-recycling/ 

REducE Plastic & Waste- Part 4

Things to Consider:

  • Use reusable containers, including ones customers can bring back! 
  • Consider only providing to-go plasticware with “ask only” method. Example Straws Upon Request Signage. 
  • Partner with companies that are providing reusable containers through delivery
  • Take an inventory of your current products and purchase from companies with reduced packaging. 
  • Reduce over-purchasing 
  • Prepare for the plastic ban early and rethink bags, utensils, cups, containers, etc.
  • Evaluate waste management services and see if they offer recycling programs

Guidance

  • ReThink Disposable technical assistance program   http://www.rethinkdisposable.org/businesses 
  • Use Rethink’s FoodWare Calculator and calculate the savings and waste reduction to your business for converting to reusable products- https://www.rethinkdisposable.org/dev/foodware-calculator 
  • Want to know where your business stands in regards to waste? Take a free waste assessment: https://www.rts.com/free-waste-assessment-2/ 
  • NJDEP https://www.nj.gov/dep/dshw/recycling/wastewise/brbn03.htm

 

NJ Plastic Ban Law

  • Starting May 4th, 2022, New Jersey retail stores, grocery stores and food service businesses may not provide or sell single-use plastic carryout bags and polystyrene foam food service products. 
  • Information https://www.nj.gov/dep/plastic-ban-law/
  • Flyer https://www.nj.gov/dep/plastic-ban-law/docs/plastics-ban-law-flyer.pdf
  • More information- https://njnoplastics.org/  & https://anjec.org/plastic-pollution-pollution
  • Plastic Ban Webinar- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu6mDJ7X464 


Plastic Free Restaurants

  • A company that will help subsidize businesses converting from plastic to compostable or reusable containers: https://www.plasticfreerestaurants.org/resources 
  • https://www.beyondplastics.org/fact-sheets/bad-news-about-bioplastics 

Recyclable or reusable container resources:

  • “CircularWare” - https://circularware.com
  • “Deliver Zero”- https://www.deliverzero.com/ 
  • “Ecolunchbox”- https://ecolunchboxes.com/

Are reusables okay during COVID? YES

  • https://www.cleanwateraction.org/publications/covid-19-pandemic-precautions-and-recommendations-reusable-food-service-ware
  • https://www.beyondplastics.org/fact-sheets/false-solutions
  • https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/news/experts-defend-safety-of-reusables-during-covid-19-pandemic/

REducE Water- Part 5

Ways to Reduce Water Consumption

  • Regularly assess water related equipment such as faucets, sinks, pipes for leaks. 
  • Run heavy water equipment only when full
    • ex. Laundry services and dishwashers
  • Install high efficiency water equipment
    • ex. High efficiency toilets, waterless urinals, aerated faucets for reduced flow
  • Install EnergyStar and Watersense products to replace water heaters
  • Use efficient landscaping techniques nsider collecting rain water, planting native species
  • Consider water recycling and water reuse

Resources for difference businesses on water conservation

https://www.allianceforwaterefficiency.org/resources/cii 

6 steps on water conservation

https://www.pge.com/en/mybusiness/save/smbblog/article/6-steps-to-more-effective-water-conservation-for-businesses.page?redirect=yes

Resource for appliances

https://www.energystar.gov/products?s=mega

Green business Vendor SPOTLight

CircularWare consults with corporations, universities and restaurants seeking to transition their food service to sustainable, circular systems that reduce waste and cost. They offer custom branded, trackable container for your program as well as analyze the hidden costs of existing single-use, takeout containers and the upside of moving to reusables.

Learn more

Community Compost is women owned Hudson Valley based company that works to collect food scraps in order to produce compost that can aid in restoring our soil and help to reduce waste. 


Through their outreach efforts, they are able to educate the consumer on proper methods of food waste reduction and how composting is a valuable thing to incorporate into your daily lifestyle. 

Learn more

Deliver Zero is working to reduce plastic waste from to go orders in NYC. 


When ordering from the app, consumers receive meals in reusable containers that can be returned to any participating kitchen for sanitizing and reuse. Containers can also be returned to the delivery person upon next order. This reduces the use of plastic containers, silverware and bags! 

Learn more

The Eco Fairy takes your food waste and is able to transform it into fertilizer within 24 hours. This process works towards their goals of being able to help people reduce their waste and reduce the costs of their waste/impact on our environment.

Learn more

The values that Ecoluncbox holds center around the need to eliminate plastics and the toxins that are found in many products we have, such as lunchboxes. Essentially, they make non-toxic, stainless steel and silicone food containers in order to reduce the amount of plastic that is wasted through items like lunchboxes. 

Learn more

Forest Founders Rewards is a new environmental loyalty program designed to allow your customers to plant trees by shopping at your business. Through the scan of a QR code, combined with our addictive web application, customers can negate their carbon footprint while shopping at your business.

Learn more

Green Bucket Compost is a food waste collection company that works with businesses, households and municipalities to divert their organic waste. The materials we collect are processed locally to help produce renewable energy!

Learn more

Plastic Free Restaurants works to eliminate plastic that is produced by restaurants. This is done through their plan to subsidize the cost difference between the plastic that restaurants currently use and the alternatives that they agree to use in the future. 

Learn more

Re:Dish works by providing a service in which they provide reusable containers and cup services that take away disposable containers. They work by sending and collecting containers and cups that are returned once being cleaned and sanitized in order to reduce carbon and water usage. 

Learn more

Replate is a food rescue organization that leverages technology & logistics to match surplus food from businesses with communities in need. Through these efforts, we aim to reduce food waste, mitigate climate change, and counter food insecurity.

Learn more

Rethink Disposable is a program that works to prevent waste by working with institutions and governments to minimize disposable packaging.

Learn more

Too Good To Go is a Anti Waste Food App that encourages individuals to refrain from wasting food through various stories and articles that inform individuals about the issues at hand. 


They also show great deals at eateries and places to shop where individuals can go to get food and buy food products in an effort to reduce waste! 

Learn more

Zero Waste is a waste and recycling management company that works to eliminate waste by introducing innovative methods that work for businesses and individuals who want to reduce waste within their own homes. 

Learn more

Connect with Us

Questions?

Contact Us

Green Business Toolkit developed by Abdulrafay Amir and Shannon Diaz- Greener JC 2021 Summer Interns


Green Business Logo and event flyer created by Sophia Prieto- Greener JC 2021 Summer Intern


Copyright © 2023 Greener JC - All Rights Reserved.

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Support Greener JC this giving season!

As a nonprofit we’re supporting the sustainability of this City by investing in the education of Jersey City’s youth, and 100% of your donations will go toward providing stipends and materials for our interns! 

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