FREEHOLD – Monmouth County will mark National County Government Week, May 3 through May 9, by offering tips to help residents reduce, reuse and recycle.

To help advance this year’s theme – “Greening Our Future” – the county is posting one-minute video tips on the county Web site at www.visitmonmouth.com each day to give residents ideas that can help keep Monmouth County environmentally friendly. 

“Each and every one of our citizens can do something to make Monmouth County a little bit greener,” Freeholder Director Barbara J. McMorrow said. “National County Government Week is a great opportunity for residents to be reminded that by using cloth grocery sacks and reusable coffee mugs they can extend the life of the county’s landfill and save money.”

The segments, produced by the county’s Department of Public Information, include the following tips:

• Monday – Switch out you incandescent light bulbs for energy efficient light bulbs and use 75 percent less energy in a year.
• Tuesday – Use cloth grocery sacks instead of paper or plastic grocery bags. Choose cloth instead of “paper or plastic” and help keep millions of bags out of the county landfill.
• Wednesday – Swap your paper coffee cup for a reusable travel coffee cup. Try it for a month and see how much you can save. 
• Thursday – Turn your home thermostat up in the summer and down in the winter. Even better, try a programmable thermostat if you are away from home during set periods of time; it could save you about $180 every year in energy costs.
• Friday  – Turn your computer off when not in use. This is the best way to save energy and money. Also be sure to place your monitor and computer (CPU, hard drive, etc.) into a low-power “sleep mode” after a period of inactivity. Simply touching the mouse or keyboard “wakes” the computer and monitor in seconds.

“Monmouth County is proud of the variety of services it provides to the community and our ‘green government’ efforts,” Freeholder Deputy Director John D’Amico said. “From our Greenhouse Gas Reduction Committee to our home composting demonstration workshops, we are tackling global issues while helping residents in their back yards.”

“National County Government Week is a great opportunity for the public to take a closer look at what the county is doing to be more efficient – both environmentally and economically,” Freeholder Robert D. Clifton said. “Energy responsible traffic lights at county intersections are an example of how we are involving various areas of county government.”

“The Monmouth County Park System is always working to make the county green,” Freeholder Lillian G. Burry said. “The county’s open space acquisition program has permanently protected more than 14,000 acres that are providing places to play and protecting our watersheds and promoting responsible development.”

“Following these useful tips today will help make Monmouth County greener tomorrow,” Freeholder Amy A. Mallet said. “Going green and conserving energy is not only about big projects such as solar or wind power, it’s also about all of the little things each of us can do every day.”

National County Government Week, sponsored by the National Association of Counties (NACo), is an annual celebration of county governments to raise public awareness and understanding about the roles and responsibilities of county government.
 
From the hills of Atlantic Highlands to the Manasquan River at the southern tip, and from westernmost reaches of Allentown to the shoreline in Asbury Park, Monmouth County offers its residents a diversity of lifestyles, quality health and education systems, thousands of acres of open space and permanently preserved farmland and the largest lending library system in the state.
 
Monmouth County is a member of NACo, the only national organization that represents county governments in the United States. Of the 3,068 counties in the United States, Monmouth County is one of less than two dozen to boast a AAA bond rating by all three major rating agencies. The county has maintained that unique financial position for the last 10 years.

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