Author: Ron Lottermann

Fair Lawn’s
Clean & Green
Guide

Paid for through the New Jersey Clean Communities grant program to help promote a cleaner New Jersey for today and tomorrow.

Clean Communities Grant
The Clean Communities program was created in 1986 with funding from taxes levied on the sale of litter generating products. In December 2002, the Clean Communities Fund was reauthorized allowing twenty-one counties and five hundred fifty-nine municipalities to be eligible to receive funding in 2010.
Fair Lawn has utilized this funding for the following programs:
Volunteer Litter Clean Up and Removal Events.
Educational Assemblies at Fair Lawn Schools.
Public Education Campaigns.
Enforcement of Borough Dumping / Littering Laws.
Street Sweeper Maintenance.
Purchasing of equipment and supplies (Street Garbage Cans, Litter Clean Up Supplies, etc.).
Storm Drain Marking.
The grant is administered by the Fair Lawn Recycling Division. If you have suggestions on how we can improve the program, please contact us at 201-794-5366 or e-mail litter@fairlawn.org.

Table of Contents
Clean Air	3
- Anti-Idling	3
Clean Lands	4
- Litter Clean Up Program	4
- Graffiti Prevention	4
- Litter Marshal Program	5
- Litter Ordinances—Fair Lawn	5
- Household Hazardous Waste	6
- Paint Disposal	6
- Waste Reduction (book swaps & free cycle)	7
- Grass: Cut-It-And-Leave-It	8
- Backyard Composting	9
Clean Water	10
- Storm Drains	10
- Non-Point Source Pollution	10-11
Internet Resources	12

Clean Air
Air Pollution Reduction:
The air we breath every minute, every day is something that most of us take for granted. Unless we see the haze in the air on a hot summer day, air pollution is practically invisible. Over the last twenty years, childhood asthma rates are on the rise as a direct result of air pollution. Everyday choices in your life can help reduce air pollution and make everyone’s lives a little bit healthier.
In the Home:
Conserve energy by turning off lights and appliances you aren’t using or need.
Purchase ENERGY STAR products that are environmentally friendly. (www.energystar.gov)
Wash clothes with warm or cold water instead of hot.
Lower your thermostat on your water heater to 120o.
Plant deciduous trees in locations around your home to help shade it in the summer and allow light in during the winter.
Choose not to smoke in your home or make this a time to quit smoking.
Driving / Auto:
Purchase vehicles that are low-polluting models and are more fuel efficient. (www.epa.gov/greenvehicles)
Keep your tires properly inflated and aligned.
Perform regular maintenance on your vehicle such as tune-ups and oil changes.
Use public transportation.
Walk or ride your bike. Both are great exercise and create no pollution.
Anti-Idling Program
Motor vehicles are one of the leading contributors to air pollution. Too many cars, trucks and buses are left idling while their occupants run into the store, wait for children to leave school or to “warm up” on a cold winter day. You have the power in your hand to make a difference. Turn the key and shut the engine off.
Idle Facts:
Fair Lawn ordinance 150-9 prohibits motor vehicles from idling for more than 3 minutes. The maximum penalty is $1,250.
Breathing exhaust fumes can aggravate asthma, allergies and cardiovascular disease.
Every gallon of gas burned produces more than 20 pounds of greenhouse gases.
An idling vehicle emits 20 times more pollution than one traveling at 30 mph.
10 seconds of idling uses more fuel than turning off the engine and restarting it!
The typical car will burn 1/5 gallon of fuel per hour while idling.
Modern car engines require only 30 seconds of warm up time in cold weather.
Frequent restarting has little to no impact on engine components like the battery and starter motor.
Idling gets 0 miles per gallon and wastes money.
Cars that are left idling alone are more likely to be stolen.
What you can do!
Turn off your car. Don’t let it idle.
Use an ice scraper instead of idling your car to remove ice from the windows.
Be on time. This will prevent unnecessary wait times.
Don’t use a remote starter.

WWW.EPA.GOV

Clean Lands
Fair Lawn is a community rich in parks, creeks, streams and rivers, yet these resources are being polluted at an alarming rate.
Accidents, spills, leaks, illegal dumping, littering and just plain carelessness has taken a toll on our natural resources not only in Fair Lawn, but across the globe. You and your family can make a difference by thinking globally and acting locally.
Broken Windows Theory
The broken window social theory simply states that if signs of deterioration of a neighborhood appear and are not immediately corrected, the deterioration will grow worse. One broken window that is not repaired will signal that no one cares and it will beget more broken windows.
This theory is clearly seen with litter. One piece of litter or illegal dumping will signal to others that it is acceptable to litter or dump in that area. A study in Newark, NJ in the early 1990’s showed that the crime rates were higher in areas that were filled with litter, debris and graffiti than areas that were cleaned and well cared for.
You can help break the cycle of the “broken windows theory” by:
Picking up litter on your street.
Removing graffiti from your property as soon as it appears.
Reporting illegal dumping to local authorities. Try and get a vehicle license plate number so the criminals can be found.
Being proud of your community and getting involved to make it better.
Volunteer Litter Clean Up Days
To help alleviate the litter problem in town, the Recycling Division holds several volunteer litter clean up days each year. These events are held on a Saturday from 8:45 AM to Noon. Volunteers are provided with gloves, bags, pick-up sticks and breakfast. Transportation to the clean up site is provided by the Fair Lawn Mini-bus through the Health Department. Event dates are posted on the Borough web site (www.fairlawn.org) and in the Community Newspaper.
If your civic group or organization would like to hold their own Litter Clean Up Event, contact the Clean Communities
Coordinator for a supply of garbage bags, gloves and to schedule a pick up of the litter collected.
To volunteer for an event, report public property in need of cleaning or to get assistance for your event, call the Fair Lawn Recycling Division at 201-794-5366 or e-mail litter@fairlawn.org.
Graffiti Prevention
Graffiti costs businesses and U.S. citizens millions of dollars each year in clean up costs, yet that is only the surface of the problem. Graffiti-filled areas scare off shoppers, investors and customers. It can also encourage people to commit other acts of vandalism or more serious crimes. Graffiti can also be a sign of a gang presence in your area.
Make your walls unattractive to graffiti by having them clean and freshly painted using a darker color and anti-graffiti paint. The rougher the surface, the less desirable the wall is to a graffiti artist. In darker areas such as the side of buildings, add more lighting or use motion sensor lights. Paint over graffiti as soon as it appears, eventually the vandals will tire and move to
another area.

Clean Lands
Litter Laws
Chapter 140 of the Borough ordinances, known as the anti-litter ordinance, prohibits littering and dumping in the Borough. Fines vary by the type of littering and the number of offenses, but the maximum penalty is $1250 and could include community service in addition to the monetary penalty.
140-3 - Littering in public places prohibited.
140-5 - Sweeping litter into gutters or streets prohibited.
140-6 - Throwing litter from vehicles prohibited.
140-14 - Owner to maintain premises free of litter.
140-17 - Dumping prohibited.
A.“It shall be unlawful for any person to discard or dump along any street or road, on or off any right-of-way, any solid waste, …”
B. “It shall be unlawful for any person to discard or dump on any property, public or private, or in any body of water any solid waste, ... “
NJ State Law: N.J.S.A. 12:1E-9.3 outlines penalties for illegal dumping, which includes a mandatory $2,500 fine, community service of up to 90 days, loss of driver’s license for 6-12 months and forfeiture of your vehicle (see N.J.S.A. 13:K-1 for process)
Litter Marshal Program
Nearly everyone has seen someone throw litter from a car window: a cigarette butt, emptying their ashtray, fast food bags, a styrofoam cup or some other garbage.
The Litter Marshal program offers an anonymous way for residents to report littering and illegal dumping. Violators are sent a warning notice along with education information about the effects of littering. In severe cases, your information could lead to prosecuting the violators.
NEVER CONFRONT THE PERSON COMMITTING THE CRIME! Leave a message with the date & time of the incident, location, what was littered, vehicle make/model and most importantly the license plate (including state)
Fair Lawn Litter Marshal Hotline
(incidents in Fair Lawn only)
201-794-5366
Bergen County Litter Marshal Hotline (incidents anywhere in Bergen County)
877-278-2455
Department of Environmental Protection Hotline
For reporting crimes with a serious or significant environmental impact.
877-WARN-DEP
877-927-6337

Clean Lands
Household Hazardous Waste Collection
Hazardous waste is not only dangerous to the environment but has also been linked to cancer and other diseases in humans. Proper disposal is imperative to health of humans and animals. The Bergen County Utilities Authority (BCUA) hosts a Household Hazardous Waste Clean Up Day several times per year. All Bergen County Residents are able to bring their materials to this event for proper disposal.
Acceptable: pesticides, herbicides, solvents, thinners, corrosives, cleaners, pool chemicals, paints, varnishes, aerosols, gasoline, photographic chemicals, antifreeze, household batteries, car batteries, small helium tanks, used motor oil and propane gas cylinders from gas grills only.
Unacceptable: woodlife, formaldehyde, explosives, asbestos, compressed gas, radioactive material, silvex (2, 5-T), dioxin, ketone, PCB’s or TCDD, or infectious waste.
This program is available free of charge to Bergen County Residents only! Proof of residence is required.
The Fair Lawn Recycling Center does NOT accept hazardous waste!
For Collection Dates Call:
201-807-5825 www.bcua.org
Paint Disposal
Paint in liquid form is considered a hazardous material. NEVER dump paint into a storm drain, body of water, a septic system or down the drain. How you handle paint depends upon the type of paint.
Oil Based Paint: Take to the BCUA Household Hazardous Waste Collection.
Spray Paint: Take to the BCUA Household Hazardous Waste Collection.
Latex Paint: Latex paint in liquid format is a hazardous material; however, once it is dried it is no longer hazardous and may be placed in the garbage. You may bring latex paint to the BCUA Household Hazardous Waste Collection or place it in the garbage AFTER following these steps for proper disposal:
Remove the lid and let the paint air dry. If you have a lot of paint you can purchase hardening crystals from a paint supply store or a hardware store.
After the paint has dried, remove it from the can with a screwdriver or other tool. Place the dried paint mass into a plastic bag and place it out for regular garbage collection.
The paint can is also placed out with garbage, but the lid must remain off so that the garbage contractor can see that it is empty.

Clean Lands
Waste Reduction
Reducing the amount of garbage that we throw away will not only help save precious lands from becoming a landfill but will also help to prevent environmental damage and save tax dollars. If every resident in Fair Lawn reduced their waste by 1 pound per week, Fair Lawn would save approximately $65,000 per year in garbage disposal costs.
Try these waste reduction tips to make a difference on your environment and checkbook.
Freecycle Your Unwanted Items:
If you have unwanted items that are still usable and don’t want to hold a garage sale, why not just give them away instead of throwing them out? Goodwill and the Salvation Army will take used clothing. Freecycle allows you to subscribe to a mailing list where people offer their unwanted items for free. Join the Bergen County mailing list and start giving your items to someone besides the garbage man!
www.freecycle.org
Join a Bookswap:
Are books overwhelming your bookshelf or basement? Join a book swap where you can exchange books with others from around the country. In exchange you can get a book you haven’t read for the cost of shipping. Some online bookstores also allow you to sell your used books on their website for a small fee. Some sites also allow you to swap music, dvds and games.
Try these online bookswaps:
www.swaptree.com (books, music, dvds and video games)
www.paperbackswap.com
www.makeuseof.com/tag/the-best-bookcrossing-websites/
(a list of the better swapping sites)
Illegal Dumping:
Illegal dumping is a crime that affects all residents of the community. The cost of clean up is borne by the town and the environmental impact can be serious and contaminate water supplies. Solid waste violations usually involve regular household garbage, construction materials or a mixture of both. Areas that are isolated or have low lighting conditions tend to be areas where illegal dumping can be found. Residents are encouraged to report illegal dumping immediately and to utilize the Litter Marshal Program as a reporting mechanism (see page 5).
NJ statute N.J.S.A. 13:1E-9.3 states that anyone dumping more than .148 cy 30 U.S. gallons of liquids at an illegal site face a mandatory $2,500 fine, up to 90 days community service, los of driver’s license for 6-12 months and forefeiture of the vehicle used to transport the materials illegally dumped.

Grass: Cut-It-And-Leave-It
Grass clippings are a major part of Fair Lawn’s solid waste stream (garbage & recycling). While recycling grass and yard waste is mandatory in New Jersey, it is costly to collect and transport to a composting facility. Recycling your own grass is easy and saves you, and the town, money each time you cut your grass. Use a mulching lawnmower or simply replace the blade on your existing mower with a mulching type. When you cut your grass, allow it to remain on the ground to be reabsorbed and provide vital nutrients to your grass.
You save:
Time by not bagging the grass and transferring it to a barrel. You can save 20-25% of your mowing time.
Money by not having to use as much fertilizer to keep your lawn looking good.
Aggravation as the cut grass makes your lawn look better and reduces weed growth.
Water as the cut grass helps reduce water evaporation so you can water less.
Correctly Mowing Your Lawn:
To maintain your lawn properly, avoid mowing more than the top 1/3 of the growing grass. Done consistently, this will result in an attractive, neatly trimmed lawn because the small clippings disappear when they filter down to the soil. Most New Jersey lawns thrive when mowed to about two to three inches, especially in the summer. The taller grass will shade the soil, cool the roots and prevent the growth of weeds, resulting in a healthier lawn.
What About Thatch? Lawn experts agree that lawn clippings do not create thatch in lawns. Rather, thatch is formed from the accumulation of dead grass roots and stems. The more you fertilize and water your lawn, the faster it grows and the faster thatch accumulates.
How Much Nitrogen Is Returned From Lawn Clippings? When you recycle grass clippings back into your soil, you’ll return nearly two pounds of valuable nitrogen to every thousand square feet of lawn each year. That may not be enough to keep the lawn really healthy, so you may also need to add another 1.5 pounds of nitrogen each year.
How to Manage Watering:
The more you water it, the faster your lawn is going to grow. Also, by controlling watering times and rates, your lawn will grow at manageable levels and stay healthy.
Variables which affect how much water your lawn needs include soil type, temperature, rainfall and turf type. Water your lawn sparingly only as it starts to dry out, but make sure you apply water before the grass begins to wilt. A lawn that needs watering will change color to a blue-green or gray tone and footprints will remain for a long time.
When your lawn needs watering, apply an inch of water to clay soils and a half-inch to sandier soils. To determine how long to water, place several coffee cans on your lawn while sprinkling. Note how long it takes for an inch of water to collect for your soil type. During dry periods, clay soil should be watered weekly and sandier soils twice per week.
Alternatives:
If you don’t want to leave the grass clippings on your lawn, considering using them for the following:
Tilling them into the garden soil. New Jersey soil is commonly low in organic materials and the grass adds needed organics.
Use them in a backyard compost pile. The grass is half of the required “browns and greens” needed to make composting happen efficiently.
For more information on soil types or to have your soil tested, contact the Rutgers Cooperative Extension at 201-336-6780 .

Backyard Composting
For millions of years nature has recycled its own organic waste through a process known as composting. A walk through the woods and this process can be seen. Leaves that have fallen during the autumn are composting on the ground, nourishing the plants and trees that grow in the forest. Composting is nature’s way of recycling.
Composting is simple and provides your garden with nutrient rich compost that you can use for potting soil, added to your lawn or garden as a soil amendment or around trees and bushes. Not only do you reap the benefits of the
compost, but you help the Borough of Fair Lawn save money in collection costs of yard waste.
How Does Composting Work? Composting is the biological degradation of organic matter. All organic matter has certain
bacteria, fungi and other living organisms that live on and around it. These organisms eat the organic matter and break it down to a matter called compost. This process happens to all organic material, however, the process can take place at a slow or fast rate, depending upon how the organic material is prepared for composting.
How Do I Compost?
Composting your leaves, grass, yard waste and other organics is easy. Garden centers and hardware stores sell compost bins that are made from plastic or wood. You could also build your own bin or compost without a bin. Some homemade bins are constructed with chicken wire, snow fence, wood pallets or wood scrap. A quick search on the Internet will give many plans for building your own or purchasing options. The BCUA also holds composter sales each year. Call 201-807-5821 or e-mail abonannolynch@bcua.org for details.
INGREDIENTS:
A compost pile requires nitrogen and carbon to properly compost. These come in the form of BROWN and GREEN materials:
BROWN: leaves, twigs, sawdust, newspaper, coffee grinds
GREEN: grass clippings, flowers, food waste (egg shells, vegetables or fruits only)
Never add meat, fat, bones or dairy to the compost pile as it will attract animals.
SLOW COMPOST RECIPE (12-18 months)
Set your compost bin / pile where it will get rained on. Remember to leave the bin uncovered.
Put your BROWN and GREEN material in your bin. In 12-18 months, the material in the center of the bin should be ready to use.
Remove the finished compost. Use the uncomposted material to start your next batch.
FAST COMPOST RECIPE (5-15 weeks)
Put your BROWN and GREEN material in your bin and add water.
Turn the pile twice per week. Be sure to keep the pile moist.
Any material not decomposed after 5-15 weeks can be used to start your next batch.
Troubleshooting:
ROTTEN ODOR: Too much moisture. Correct by turning the pile, and adding dry, porous material.
AMMONIA ODOR: Too much nitrogen. Add high carbon (BROWN) material, such as saw dust, wood chips, paper or straw and turn.
DRY PILE: Not enough water / too much carbon. Add water and GREEN materials.
NOT COMPOSTING: Lack of nitrogen. Add GREEN materials and turn.
Portions reprinted from Backyard Composting: Nature’s Way distributed by the
Bergen County Utilities Authority

Clean Water
Less than 1% of the world’s water supply is ready for human consumption. It has never been more important to take steps to conserve our water and keep it clean. Everyday actions can have large impacts on water in Fair Lawn and the surrounding watershed. Fair Lawn is located in the Lower Passaic, Saddle River watershed.
Storm Drains
Storm drains channel storm water directly to waterways. Contrary to common belief, this water is not chemically treated and is not part of the sanitary sewer system, and is directly released into rivers, lakes, and streams. Pollution in the storm water will pollute any body of water or waterway that it becomes a part of.
Hosing off your driveway has the same effect as a rainfall washing all dirt, organic matter, and pollutants to the storm drains, and therefore to the waterways. To prevent this, driveways can be cleaned just as effectively with a broom. Whatever waste is swept should be taken off the driveway to prevent it from reaching the storm drains.
Nonpoint Source Pollution
During a rainfall, storm water picks up various pollutants that originate from human activities, also called nonpoint source pollution. The good news is that there are numerous ways to avoid or minimize the amount of pollution entering our storm drains with everyday choices. Ultimately, whether or not we have clean water is up to you.
Organic Matter: Accumulated organic matter, such as grass and leaves, do more harm than meets the eye. Nutrients leach out of the material, causing algal blooms and low oxygen content in waterways, leading to fish kills. Storm drains should be cleared of this organic matter to reduce this effect.
Litter: All litter is unsightly, making an otherwise clean-looking neighborhood look tarnished. When smaller pieces wash into waterways, they present not only an unattractive nuisance but also a hazard, becoming a very real threat to wildlife that can become entangled, poisoned, or choked. All residents are responsible for cleaning all litter, whether it’s theirs or not, off their property.
Car Washing: Detergents used for washing cars contain phosphates, compounds that contaminate drinking water and kill wildlife and plants. In addition, the dirt, oil, and soap washed from the car flow into storm drains and contaminate all water it reaches. A much better alternative is to take your car to a commercial car wash, where the water is treated and recycled. If you would prefer to wash your car yourself, wash your car on the lawn and use a detergent that does not include phosphate.
Fertilizers: Fertilizers nourish lawns with the excess nitrates and phosphates they contain, but at a substantial cost. Once water washes these nutrients away, they continue to affect every area they reach with disastrous effects. Algae grow uncontrollably, water is depleted of oxygen, and fish are killed as a result. Fertilizers may not even be needed for your lawn, performing a soil test will indicate how much to apply to your lawn’s particular soil type. Using a mulching lawnmower will additionally reduce any need for fertilizers and also save time and money. One alternative to fertilizing your lawn is to utilize the grass cut-it-and-leave-it technique. For more information on cutting your grass and leaving it, see page 8 of this handbook.

Clean Water
Non-Point Source Pollution (continued)
Pesticides: As pesticides are designed to kill organisms, they are by far not the safest solution for controlling weeds and pests. Pesticides have been found in drinking water and if ingested, ultimately end up accumulating in the body's fatty tissue. Alternatives to pesticides are now widely available, and it is imminent that they be used whenever possible.
For weeds, alternatives include:
-Handpicking. It may be somewhat time consuming, but ultimately gets rid of the weeds for good, without harming other plants and beneficial insects.
For pests, alternatives include:
-Mechanical controls, such as barriers and traps. They prevent damage to the yard by physically capturing the pest. Whatever was caught should be released into a naturally isolated area nearby.
-Strategic placement of certain plant varieties that pests prefer around the targeted plant. This spares the plant from damage.
-Companion planting, the use of insect-repelling plants near the targeted plant. This allows the plant to benefit from the natural repellant.
-Ordering beneficial insects from a catalogue. These insects reduce the number of pests, and therefore, the amount of damage.
-Diversified planting. Intermingling different varieties of plants instead of planting them in rows forces the pest to search for a new food source, and therefore is exposing itself to predators. The number of pests is then naturally lowered.
If you absolutely must use pesticides, choose biodegradable, low-toxicity pesticides- these chemicals are less harmful to mammals and are present in the environment for a shorter amount of time, compared with traditional pesticides.
Auto Fluids: Fluids such as motor oil are considered hazardous and should never be allowed to flow into a storm drain. Instead, consider bringing your used motor oil to the BCUA Hazardous Waste Collection, an oil change place, or a gas station, where the oil will be properly recycled.
Pet Waste: Although it may seem innocuous, pet waste contains viruses and bacteria that contaminate bathing areas and shellfish. The best thing to do is to pick up your pet’s waste and either flush it down a toilet without a plastic bag or place it in the garbage with a plastic bag. Not cleaning up your pet waste is in violation of Borough ordinance and the person walking the pet runs the risk of a summons of up $1,250 and/or 90 days in jail.
Hazardous Materials: Many common household items include hazardous materials, and cannot be disposed of with your regular garbage. These items include pesticides, herbicides, solvents, thinners, corrosives, household cleaners, pool chemicals, paints, varnishes aerosols, gasoline, photographic chemicals, antifreeze, household batteries, small helium tanks, used motor oil, and dates. For more
information, see page 6 of this booklet or go to www.bcua.org.

Internet Resources
United States Environmental Protection Agency:
WWW.EPA.GOV
Clean Water Action:
WWW.CLEANWATERACTION.ORG
Water Conservation:
WWW.WATERUSEITWISELY.COM
The Story of Stuff (learn about why we have so much stuff and what happens to it)
WWW.STORYOFSTUFF.COM
New Jersey Anti-Idling
WWW.STOPTHESOOT.ORG
Rutgers Cooperative Extension—Bergen County
NJAES.RUTGERS.EDU/COUNTY/QUICKINFO.ASP?BERGEN
New Jersey Clean Communities:
WWW.NJCLEAN.ORG
Rethink Recycling:
WWW.RETHINKRECYCLING.COM
Borough of Fair Lawn:
WWW.FAIRLAWN.ORG

Fair Lawn Recycling Division
P.O. Box 376
Fair Lawn, New Jersey 07410
Mail to:
Postal Patron Local
Fair Lawn, New Jersey 07410

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID Paramus, NJ
PERMIT NO. 513

#