Gloucester Clean Community Bags a $1,000 Green Grant

Gloucester Clean Community’s “Bag It Up” campaign was selected as one of the thirty Green Grant Awards we’re announcing each day in June.  Their goal is to offer reusable grocery bags to consumers at the farmers’ market this summer to decrease the amount of single-use plastic bags used during food purchases.

Although plastic produce and shopping bags are popular with consumers because they’re lightweight, and a hygienic way of carrying food item, they can take their toll on the environment.  Many plastic bags are sent to the landfill, fowl up recycling sorting equipment, or end up littering the landscape, becoming a hazard for farming and mowing equipment as well as wildlife.

Clean Community is aiming to help mitigate the use of single-use plastic bags in their community. Through a public outreach program, they plan to provide community members with reusable bags at farm stands in Gloucester.  They want to educate and encourage residents and visitors to think before automatically picking up single-use plastic bags.  They hope to enlist the help of the local 4-H, boy scouts or girl scouts to assist in enlightening the youth and the public by handing out reusable cloth bags at local farm stands.

Green Grant funds will be used to purchase reusable grocery bags to give away for free to the public.

Clean Community will measure how many bags are handed out throughout the summer. A short survey or outreach will be offered to people regarding their knowledge of plastic pollution and ask why they do or do not use reusable grocery bags. Any leftover reusable grocery bags will be used to hold our Clean Gloucester Day cleanup volunteers’ supplies for our Fall Cleanup.

Gloucester County Clean Community in Gloucester strives to help keep Gloucester County clean and green. They promote recycling and proper disposal of solid waste, facilitates group cleanups and beautification projects, as well as conduct community outreach and education programs for schools.

Way to keep your community clean Gloucester!  Congratulations!