Long Branch school awarded a $25,000 grant

George L Catrambone School awarded a $25,000 grant and technical assistance to participate in food waste reduction program

Long Branch – The George L Catrambone School was selected to receive a $25,000 grant and technical assistance as part of the Sustainable Jersey School Food Waste Pilot Program. The goal of the program is to support schools in implementing best practices for reducing food waste and develop a model to be shared with schools across the state.

The grant will allow GLC School to purchase equipment for on-site composting and to implement other food waste reduction strategies such as share tables and donation of unwanted food. The technical assistance will include on-site training, student learning materials and implementation support through the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Food Waste Team.

“We are so excited to be the recipients of this grant!” said Jessica Alonzo, Principal of GLC School. “We have been looking for ways to reduce the waste we produce in the lunchroom every year such as eliminating straws and reusable lunch trays. Composting our food waste will make a huge impact on the volume of waste we produce and further teach our students and their families the positive changes they can make daily for the environment.”

“Now more than ever, we need our school leaders to emphasize and more importantly to showcase best practices for food waste reduction in New Jersey schools,” said Sustainable Jersey Executive Director Randall Solomon. “This grant and the technical assistance will provide each school the opportunity to serve as a research partner and case study for other schools as we work to develop a healthier and more sustainable New Jersey.”

In September 2019, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection released School Food Waste Guidelines for K-12 schools. The Sustainable Jersey School Food Waste Pilot Program will work with the three grant recipients to implement the food waste guidelines and serve as case studies for inclusion in an updated School Food Waste Toolkit produced by Sustainable Jersey and the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Food Waste Team.

About Sustainable Jersey for Schools
Sustainable Jersey for Schools is a certification program for public schools in New Jersey. It was launched by Sustainable Jersey, an organization that provides tools, training and financial incentives to support and reward municipalities and schools as they pursue sustainability programs. Currently, 64 percent of New Jersey public school districts and 1,025 schools are participating in the Sustainable Jersey for Schools program.

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