BLOOMFIELD, NJ – The Bloomfield Township Council met on Monday night for the first time since late September. The body heard a presentation from Mollie Smith, coordinator for Greener Bloomfield on the township’s 2025 application for Sustainable Jersey Municipal Certification.
Sustainable Jersey’s free certification program currently recognizes 463 municipalities across the Garden State for their commitment and progress towards sustainability within their respective communities. Their program also provides tools, training and financial incentives to help participating towns pursue critical related initiatives.
As the town’s designated green team, Greener Bloomfield has helped secure Bloomfield’s bronze-level certification five times since the program’s launch in 2009 as well as multiple Sustainable Jersey grants to support green education, energy efficiency, and planting projects in the community.
On Monday, Ms. Smith shared the news that, as a result of a significant increase in the number and quality of Bloomfield’s sustainable achievements over the past year, the town has officially been awarded Sustainable Jersey’s prestigious silver certification for 2025, placing it among the top twelve leading municipalities in the state.
As part of the submission process, nearly 30 new sustainable initiatives were documented and eight new categories were added to the town’s certification including Health & Wellness, Innovative Projects, and Renewable Energy.
On November 18th, Bloomfield will be recognized for attaining silver certification and for being a statewide and national leader during the annual Sustainable Jersey Luncheon at the League of Municipalities Conference in Atlantic City.
“There are a bunch of people who put a lot of heart and soul into this to make sure we were able to meet this accomplishment,” Bloomfield Mayor Jenny Mundell said. “This certification helps to showcase what has been a commitment over a long number of years to sustainability and now it is being recognized.”
“The wide range of sustainable actions and categories that Bloomfield earned recognition for this year represent our community’s forward-thinking mindset for what sustainability means.” Ms. Smith said. “Our green team’s successful submission was made possible through the collaborative efforts of our dedicated volunteers, township staff, and elected leaders who all pitched in to provide research, compile documentation and champion our new green initiatives.“
FYI, notable new actions for which the Township received credits toward 2025 silver certification include: Municipal Commitments to Support Arts & Creative Culture, Identifying Vulnerable Populations for Emergencies, Purchasing Alternative Fuel Vehicles, Providing Public Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure, Partnering with Community Food Pantries, Promoting Safe Food Donation for Food Security, Building Healthier Communities, Improving Public Engagement in Municipal Government, Mapping Community Assets, and Operating Materials Reuse Programs