EWING GREEN TEAM
EWING GREEN TEAM Working Towards Building a Sustainable Ewing
May 20, 2013 Business Name Address City, State Zip Code Dear Lawn and Landscape Professional, The Ewing Township Sustainable Green Team, an appointed citizens’ board since 2009, has been working with Ewing Township to help Ewing to become a greener and cleaner place to live and work. We are working in concert with an organization called Sustainable Jersey to help Ewing to "go green, save money, and take steps to sustain our quality of life over the long term." The Sustainable Jersey program outlines many steps that Ewing can take toward meeting this goal, and the Ewing Green Team is striving to meet the challenge. One of the areas targeted by the Sustainable Jersey program is waste minimization and recycling. As a lawn and landscape professional we are sure that you have heard of “grass-cycling” – the practice of leaving the grass clippings on the lawn to naturally decompose, returning valuable nutrients back into the soil. Far too many Ewing residents are unaware of the benefits of this practice. Every day bags of grass clippings can be seen at the curb for trash pickup all over the township. These clippings are a major part of New Jersey’s municipal solid waste stream and can during summer and fall months, comprise as much as 25-50% of the waste volume going to landfills. In addition, many homeowners are unaware of the benefits of leaving the clippings to decompose naturally on the grass and may also have a number of misconceptions about the practice, such as grass-cycling causes thatch build up (it doesn’t), that it can make the lawn look bad (it doesn’t – the naturally fertilized lawn grows thicker and crowds out weeds), and that grass-cycling causes lawn disease (again, it doesn’t). Adherence to this practice can also cause extra work and expense for you as the lawn contractor if you bag the clippings or take some or all of the grass clippings to the landfill. For customers concerned about the aesthetics and the look of the clippings during periods of more rapid grass growth the height of the mower can also be adjusted. Lowering it over the course of a few mowings and cutting the grass shorter over a period of time will lessen the need to mow more frequently. Mulching mowers will also chop up the grass clippings to a finer degree resulting in a more pleasing lawn. There are many benefits to grass-cycling and they have been outlined in a brochure that we have included in this mailing. The brochure also addresses numerous questions and concerns that your customers might have about the practice. This information is also available on our website at the Ewing Green Team’s website at http://ewinggreenteam.wordpress.com/committees/recycling/grasscycling/ and on the Ewing Township website at http://ewingnj.org/ewings-green-team-encourages-you-to-grasscycle/. Questions about the practice can be directed to the Township Recycling Office at 609-882-3382 or emailed to the Ewing Green Team at [email protected] . Customers can ask for additional brochures at the Township’s Recycling Office.
Ewinggreenteam.wordpress.com
Contact us: [email protected] rd
Monthly Meetings at Ewing Senior & Community Center, 999 Lower Ferry Rd, Ewing, NJ 08618, 4 Wed. of each month
EWING GREEN TEAM Working Towards Building a Sustainable Ewing The Ewing Township Sustainable Green Team would like to ask you to promote this practice with your Ewing customers. Not only should grass-cycling save you time and money, the benefits to the health of your customer’s lawns in particular, and the environment in general, will be incalculable. We thank you in advance for your part in the effort to create a greener and healthier Ewing. Sincerely,
The Ewing Township Sustainable Green Team
Ewinggreenteam.wordpress.com
Contact us: [email protected] rd
Monthly Meetings at Ewing Senior & Community Center, 999 Lower Ferry Rd, Ewing, NJ 08618, 4 Wed. of each month
May 20, 2013 Business Name Address City, State Zip Code Dear Lawn and Landscape Professional, The Ewing Township Sustainable Green Team, an appointed citizens’ board since 2009, has been working with Ewing Township to help Ewing to become a greener and cleaner place to live and work. We are working in concert with an organization called Sustainable Jersey to help Ewing to "go green, save money, and take steps to sustain our quality of life over the long term." The Sustainable Jersey program outlines many steps that Ewing can take toward meeting this goal, and the Ewing Green Team is striving to meet the challenge. One of the areas targeted by the Sustainable Jersey program is waste minimization and recycling. As a lawn and landscape professional we are sure that you have heard of “grass-cycling” – the practice of leaving the grass clippings on the lawn to naturally decompose, returning valuable nutrients back into the soil. Far too many Ewing residents are unaware of the benefits of this practice. Every day bags of grass clippings can be seen at the curb for trash pickup all over the township. These clippings are a major part of New Jersey’s municipal solid waste stream and can during summer and fall months, comprise as much as 25-50% of the waste volume going to landfills. In addition, many homeowners are unaware of the benefits of leaving the clippings to decompose naturally on the grass and may also have a number of misconceptions about the practice, such as grass-cycling causes thatch build up (it doesn’t), that it can make the lawn look bad (it doesn’t – the naturally fertilized lawn grows thicker and crowds out weeds), and that grass-cycling causes lawn disease (again, it doesn’t). Adherence to this practice can also cause extra work and expense for you as the lawn contractor if you bag the clippings or take some or all of the grass clippings to the landfill. For customers concerned about the aesthetics and the look of the clippings during periods of more rapid grass growth the height of the mower can also be adjusted. Lowering it over the course of a few mowings and cutting the grass shorter over a period of time will lessen the need to mow more frequently. Mulching mowers will also chop up the grass clippings to a finer degree resulting in a more pleasing lawn. There are many benefits to grass-cycling and they have been outlined in a brochure that we have included in this mailing. The brochure also addresses numerous questions and concerns that your customers might have about the practice. This information is also available on our website at the Ewing Green Team’s website at http://ewinggreenteam.wordpress.com/committees/recycling/grasscycling/ and on the Ewing Township website at http://ewingnj.org/ewings-green-team-encourages-you-to-grasscycle/. Questions about the practice can be directed to the Township Recycling Office at 609-882-3382 or emailed to the Ewing Green Team at [email protected] . Customers can ask for additional brochures at the Township’s Recycling Office.
Ewinggreenteam.wordpress.com
Contact us: [email protected] rd
Monthly Meetings at Ewing Senior & Community Center, 999 Lower Ferry Rd, Ewing, NJ 08618, 4 Wed. of each month
EWING GREEN TEAM Working Towards Building a Sustainable Ewing The Ewing Township Sustainable Green Team would like to ask you to promote this practice with your Ewing customers. Not only should grass-cycling save you time and money, the benefits to the health of your customer’s lawns in particular, and the environment in general, will be incalculable. We thank you in advance for your part in the effort to create a greener and healthier Ewing. Sincerely,
The Ewing Township Sustainable Green Team
Ewinggreenteam.wordpress.com
Contact us: [email protected] rd
Monthly Meetings at Ewing Senior & Community Center, 999 Lower Ferry Rd, Ewing, NJ 08618, 4 Wed. of each month
