Township EcoChallenge Teams Aim to Recycle More

A social group, church, and high school environmental club are among several Chatham Township teams participating in a two-week "EcoChallenge" that starts Tuesday.

The program is open to all Chatham Township residents and invites people to try changing one small habit to improve household recycling or otherwise be more green.

The challenge runs Oct. 15 to Oct. 30.

Residents can sign up for the EcoChallenge online, join a local teams, and create a team. During the challenge, they can blog about their experience, connect with other participants, and earn points for chances to win prizes.

Videos about four Chatham Township residents—Marilyn Murray, Jennifer Mathews, Frank Esposito and Megan Schaaf—and their personal EcoChallenges are on the township website.

"During this 2-week period, you might like to try recycling something that you’ve often thought you should," the township website says. "For example, are you still recycling only #1 and #2 bottles and cans, as we had to before the new single stream recycling expanded the list to include all containers with numbers 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7? Do you recycle all junk mail? Do you have worn out plastic children's toys for the rigid recyclables container at Tanglewood recycling depot?"

The Chatham Township teams are focusing on different efforts. Chatham Newcomers and Corpus Christi Parish are working to reduce trash. Chatham Lightweights are seeing if they recycle more than they throw out. The Chatham High School Environmental Club is working on alternative transportation, while the Heritage Greene Condominium team is introducing a new recycling bag, the township website says.

For more information about Chatham Township's teams and how to sign up visit http://www.chathamtownship-nj.gov/CTEC/EcoChallenge.html