Sustainable Moorestown is partnering with Moorestown Hardware and Our Lady of Good Counsel Church (OLGC) for the 2026 Light Recycling Collection.
“Our mission – quite simply – is to promote social equity, economic vitality and environmental equality of Moorestown,” said Sustainable Moorestown board member Chris Salvatico.
The light recycling collection started on Nov. 1 and will run until late February. Anyone looking to discard holiday lights can drop them off at Moorestown Hardware or at an outside box located at the OLGC Rectory. Through the years, Sustainable Moorestown has collected 10,600 pounds of lights for recycling as part of Burlington County’s electronic waste program.
“We urge people who are really passionate about sustainability to join hands with us and join our committee, and give us ideas to help our community,” said board member Saima Bhutta.
Post-pandemic, Sustainable Moorestown started hosting their own community health fair. This year’s event took place back in September at the library, with vendors and resources on site at people’s disposal. Township residents and high school students volunteered to help. The partnerships that Sustainable Moorestown has built with vendors and volunteers for the fair continue to grow, so both Bhutta and Salvatico are looking forward to seeing how big it will be in 2027.
“Some people might say, ‘Well, what does a health fair have to do with sustainability?’” Salvatico said. “Part of sustainability is also the health and welfare of the community in which we live. A health fair works into that because it’s the ‘health’ portion of the health and welfare. We feel it’s within our wheelhouse to do so.”
Through a mix of projects and outreach initiatives focused on sustainability, Sustainable Moorestown works to develop ways to achieve prosperity while creating a long-term, sustainable environment for future generations. On Oct. 3, the organization collected clothes, shoes, accessories and household linens that residents didn’t sell at the town-wide yard sale to benefit Helpsy, a corporation that collects, sorts and trades secondhand clothes and shoes. Last year, the Helpsy team collected over 32 million pounds of clothes, shoes and other items. Since Sustainable Moorestown and Helpsy partnered for the drive three or four years ago, they’ve worked to make it permanent. Those who wish to donate any unwanted items can drop them off at the township’s public works department at 601 E 3rd Street from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.
“I like to think that we’re the bleeding edge of this type of thing,” Salvatico said. “We’re always interested in getting in younger blood, and we want to have the next generation up and running to continue the mission of Sustainable Moorestown.”
The group welcomes newcomers to attend meetings at the library for the second Thursday of the month, unless otherwise noted. Visit Sustainable Moorestown’s social media or the township website for updates.
Sustainable Moorestown and local volunteers collected donated items last month for Helpsy, a corporation whose mission is to keep clothing, shoes and textiles out of landfills.
Sustainable Moorestown board members Saima Bhutta and Chris Salvatico at the committee’s community health fair on Sept. 26.
