Sustainable Ewing Green Team

National Drug Take Back Day This Saturday, April 26

April 23, 2014November 3, 2016Leave a comment

If your medicine cabinet is filled with expired drugs or medications that you no longer use, and you are concerned about detrimental environmental effects from improper disposal, here is the information that you need to properly dispose of them.

The Ewing Police Department will be participating in the DEA’s twice yearly National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. This will take place on Saturday, April 26, 2014, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This is a great opportunity for those who missed the previous events, or who have subsequently accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs, to safely dispose of those medications. Just go to the Ewing Police Department at 2 Jake Garzio Drive. Enter the main door and make a left to go down the hallway to the Police Department. Ewing Police will have an officer between 10 and 2 to take the items.

All medications are accepted, prescription and over-the-counter, as well as liquids. Hypodermic needles are not accepted. The disposal is handled completely securely; all accepted medications with any labels that you leave on the containers are placed in a large cardboard box, lined with plastic. At the end of the day the contents are taken to the prosecutor’s office. The DEA will pick up and incinerate.

Guidelines for Drug Disposal

If you are unable to participate on the day the FDA’s guidelines for proper drug disposal follow:

Follow any specific disposal instructions on the drug label or patient information that accompanies the medication. Do not flush prescription drugs down the toilet unless this information specifically instructs you to do so.
If no instructions are given on the drug label and no take-back program is available in your area, take them out of their original containers and mix them with an undesirable substance, such as used coffee grounds or kitty litter — to make the medication less appealing and unrecognizable — then put them in a sealable bag, empty can, or other container to prevent the medication from leaking or breaking out of a garbage bag.
You should also remove any identifying information on the label to protect your identity and privacy.

Despite the safety reasons for flushing drugs, some people are questioning the practice because of concerns about trace levels of drug residues found in surface water, such as rivers and lakes, and in some community drinking water supplies. However, the main way drug residues enter water systems is by people taking medications and then naturally passing them through their bodies. That said, the FDA does not want to add drug residues into water systems unnecessarily. The agency reviewed its drug labels to identify products with disposal directions recommending flushing or disposal down the sink. This continuously revised listing can be found at FDA’s Web page on Disposal of Unused Medicines.

National Take Back Day Information

Date: Saturday, April 26, 2014
Time: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Location: Ewing Police Department, 2 Jake Garzio Drive

Preserving Our Community and Transforming Our Future

April 4, 2014November 3, 2016Leave a comment

The Ewing Green Team is delighted to announce that the planning for a Ewing Conversation on Preserving Our Community and Transforming Our Future is now underway. The year long visioning process is being funded by a $10,000 PSE&G grant from Sustainable Jersey through their small grants program. A professional strategic planning team from Cherry Hill has been chosen to facilitate the group and citizens of Ewing to create a multi-year vision and action plan for sustainability. Lori Braunstein and Natalie Barney have helped to organize several New Jersey municipalities and were instrumental to Cherry Hill’s success in implementing an extensive sustainability plan.

The process has already begun and will continue throughout 2014. There will be two visioning sessions, for which a broad range of invited participants will lend their time and talent to create a vision and plan. This strategic planning is the next step in growing the organization and coordinating with the community’s interests to make a strategic, positive impact for the future. “We want to engage the citizens of Ewing in creating a vision for a very livable, prosperous Ewing that sustains itself for future generations” said Joanne Mullowney, communications officer for the Green Team.

While the vision for Ewing will be unique, actions will likely include aspects of the Sustainable Jersey framework. The coming months will focus on the planning process, and will include a handful of Saturday and/or evening visioning meetings that are being scheduled. The first community visioning meeting. Check back here in the coming weeks to note our progress and see how you can get involved.

Mary Jane Leach, Vice Chair

Come to the 7th Annual Living Local Expo on March 29th

March 18, 2014November 3, 2016Leave a comment

Grant Helps Ewing Green Team Chart Its Course

March 17, 2014November 3, 20161 Comment

Ewing Township was just awarded a $10,000 grant from Sustainable Jersey through their small grants program. The grant, funded by PSE&G, will fund a professional strategic planning team to facilitate the group and citizens of Ewing to create a multi-year vision and action plan for sustainability. Ewing Green Team leadership worked with Township officials through a detailed selection process to choose a facilitating team from among 3 candidates. MaGa Consulting, LLC from Cherry Hill was ultimately chosen. Lori Braunstein and Natalie Barney of MaGa have experience organizing several New Jersey municipalities and were instrumental to Cherry Hill’s success in implementing an extensive sustainability plan.

The process begins now and will continue throughout 2014. There will be two or three visioning sessions, for which invited participants from a broad range of constituencies, neighborhoods and municipal, civic and business leadership will lend their time and talent to create a vision and plan. This strategic planning is the first step toward growing the organization and the community’s interest and coordinated effort to be able to make a strategic, positive impact for the future. “We want to engage the citizens of Ewing in creating a vision for a very livable, prosperous Ewing that sustains itself for future generations” said Joanne Mullowney, communications officer for the Green Team.

While the vision for Ewing will be unique, actions will likely include aspects of the Sustainable Jersey framework. Currently, the Green Team works in several sustainability areas, often in conjunction with partners such as the Ewing Environmental Commission and TCNJ. These areas include community gardening and local food; municipal, business and home energy improvements; walking, biking and trails; recycling through the Shred Day events, and others. In fall 2013, Ewing obtained Bronze certification and is endeavoring to achieve points for actions sufficient to achieve the Silver certification in the future.

Sign Up for Rain Garden and Rain Barrel Workshops

February 26, 2014November 3, 2016Leave a comment

Rain Barrel Workshops

Learn more about water conservation and how to harvest rainwater from your roof and divert it for on-site usage in the landscape. The Ewing Green Team, in partnership with the AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassador program, will teach area residents how to build a rain barrel at two workshops this spring. The fee for the program is $45 to cover the cost of the materials and must be paid in advance to allow us to purchase the kits from Rutgers University. Each workshop will run approximately 2 hours. Sign up today.

Event: Rain Barrel Workshops
Dates: Saturday, May 17th
Time: 10 a.m. – Noon
Location: Hollowbrook Community Center

Rain Gardens

Rain Gardens not only beautify your landscape, but also serve practical environmental purposes. They collect water runoff and store it, permitting it to be filtered and slowly absorbed by the soil. This interception of water runoff from impervious surfaces provides a number of benefits for your landscape. It acts to minimize the volume and improve the quality of water entering conventional storm drains and nearby streams. It also works to minimize soil erosion. It helps you provide a habitat for wildlife which can be sorely lacking in home gardens. And finally, the volume and quality of water is better whether it is absorbed in or leaves a rain garden. Join the members of the Green Team at a presentation to show you how you can design and implement a rain garden in your yard.

Event: Rain Garden Workshop
Date: Tuesday, June 10th
Time: 7 – 8:30 p.m.
Location: Hollowbrook Community Center, Community Room