Hawthorne awarded Sustainable Jersey Silver; council highlights local recycling, gardens and outreach

Councilwoman Rena presented Hawthorne’s Sustainable Jersey Silver certification at the borough council meeting, saying the borough earned 440 points under the Sustainable Jersey program and has secured roughly $35,800 in grant funding since 2011.

“This is a team, partnership, and connections,” Rena said, summarizing the work of the borough’s green team, environmental commission and the municipal departments that contribute to the certification. Rena highlighted local projects that won points: expansion of the community garden, donation of produce to the Hawthorne food pantry, a permanent polystyrene collection container launched May 2024, and new plastic-film collection started in May 2025.

Rena credited partnerships with the Hawthorne Chamber of Commerce, the local farmers’ market and neighborhood-preservation stakeholders for the buy-local and business-support efforts. She described the borough’s community-asset mapping, tree-protection ordinance, a community forestry management plan and education programs such as green lectures and a beekeeping presentation offered by a member of the police department.

The presentation also outlined program mechanics and benefits: certification provides access to training and small grants and requires documentation of priority actions and sustainability categories. Rena said the borough routinely re-pledges resolutions and updates the master plan and environmental-resource inventory to retain points.

Rena closed by noting upcoming events tied to the environmental effort: an April 18 community celebration and the annual June environmental program on June 8 focused on plant education and community recognition. “We’ll see you in three years,” she said, referring to the next certification cycle.

The council recognized Rena and the wider green-team membership for the work required to assemble the certification package and documentation.