Ocean County Wins State Award for Recycling and Litter Prevention Work

Ocean County Recycles and Clean Communities Program grabbed the County Program Award from New Jersey Clean Communities during the 20th annual Clean Communities Expo and Award Ceremony. Officials gave the award because of hard work in stopping litter, teaching people, and getting volunteers involved.

Leaders celebrated America Recycles Day by marking this win. Short and sweet.

In 2024, the Clean Communities group helped more than 50 volunteer cleanups and gave equipment to 19 or more sites, reaching thousands through teaching programs. Workers from the Corrections labor division put in 14,892 hours, cleaned 318 miles, and grabbed 1,560 bags of litter.

That work saved about $230,000 in labor costs. The group also added new recycling stations and dog waste stations in county parks, made school programs better, and ran a Recycle Coach App campaign that touched over 71,000 people living in the county.

Commissioner Deputy Director Frank Sadeghi, who works with the Department of Solid Waste Management, met with staff to congratulate them for winning across the state and for their continued commitment to protecting the environment. Sadeghi said the award shows how well government departments, volunteers, and people living there work together to keep Ocean County's natural beauty safe, according to Shore News Network.

Officials asked people to keep recycling and cutting down waste. These actions matter a lot when it comes to protecting parks, waterways, and shorelines. The team keeps showing everyone how to take care of the environment, pushing people to recycle, volunteer, and feel proud about keeping their area clean.

The ceremony happened during America Recycles Day, which shows how important waste reduction and recycling programs are across the nation. Towns are working hard to keep public spaces clean and reduce harm to the environment by getting the community involved.