Youth sports leagues can trade trash for cash

EDISON - The township's various youth athletic leagues are hoping that attempts to green their playing fields will translate into green for their programs. The initiative was announced by Mayor Jun Choi, flanked by coaches, officials and local youths, on Oct. 9.

"This program is good for the environment and will help instill the importance of recycling in our youth," said Choi. "It also gives these leagues an opportunity to receive some money for the environmentally friendly effort they are going to undertake."

The program involves the township placing recycling bins at all of Edison's youth athletic fields where before there were just trash cans. The material the township collects in these bins will lead to money from the township's Clean Communities and the Recycling Tonnage grants, which come from the county and the state. The program also allows the leagues to further boost their recycling tonnage count by holding fundraisers, which allows them to be drop-off points for materials.

According to Choi, the township recycled 174,960 tons of material last year and said that Edison is eager to increase that number. To this end, he thinks encouraging recycling through the youth athletic league is a good idea to save both money and the environment. It's also a good chance, he said, for the town to unite for a common goal.

"It's also an opportunity to bring our community together," said Choi.

This sentiment was shared by Recreation Department Director Denise Halliwell.

"It's a win-win situation for the environment, and I think it will be a great opportunity for the children of Edison," said Halliwell.

According to Jeff Roderman, township director of public works and recycling coordinator, the measure will be able to not only net money from the county and state, but there will also be significant savings for field maintenance as well.

"With this program, we're actually going to save Edison money in two ways. Where people might have thrown out a can or bottle at a field, now it will be recycled. This will lessen the amount of garbage, which we have to pay for to dispose of, and it will increase the amount of recycling we collect, which is something we receive money for," said Roderman.

Resident Mike Abney, from the Brookville Road area, said that trash around the athletic fields was a common problem that he hopes will be lessened with this initiative.

"It makes money for the league and cleans up the neighborhood and hopefully will clean up the fields, instead of seeing Gatorade bottles everywhere," said Abney. "It's very good."

- Chris Gaetano