Residents, green team and students push plastic reduction and conservation at Allendale meeting

Residents and volunteers reported a busy November for Allendale’s green team and urged the borough to expand plastic‑reduction and water‑conservation efforts.

Councilman Joe DeLuzio (speaking in his capacity as a local green‑team supporter) summarized recent activity: the group delivered more than 200 bags to the CFX, ran a successful clothing and food drive and began a holiday‑lights recycling collection that will run through Jan. 30. “We had, for the fourth time, delivered more than 200 bags to the CFX,” he said, thanking volunteers and noting outreach to neighboring towns to promote similar programs.

Maya, a high‑school sophomore and green‑team volunteer, told the council she wants to reduce single‑use plastics at local restaurants and promote water‑conservation education. “I’m really interested in freezing our single‑use plastics and, like, restaurants around town,” Maya said, describing plans to engage businesses and peers in reuse and conservation.

A resident praised a volunteer named Mark for organizing collections and asked that the town hall acknowledge his work; council members and the mayor thanked Mark and other volunteers.

Why it matters: volunteer collections and public education programs reduce waste and support town services; youth engagement indicates potential for school‑based outreach. The green team’s continuing collections provide tangible community benefits while generating interest in local policy changes such as single‑use‑plastic reduction or business partnerships.

Next steps: the green team plans to continue collections through Jan. 30 and to report a year‑end summary for the municipal newsletter.