Business & Tech

Cinnaminson Goes Green with EcoTowne

A collaboration with Cinnaminson and JSHi will benefit the township and its residents.

Cinnaminson has been chosen as the pilot town for a special project called EcoTowne, a green initiative from JSH International, a bio-environmental company founded by Jirair S. Hovnanian.

As part of the collaboration, Cinnaminson and its residents can benefit from the project’s green products and practices—at no cost to the township or the taxpayers.

“We picked Cinnaminson because we have a very good relationship here,” said Kate Sanford, business affairs manager for JSHi. “We felt that it was the right place to get it started.”

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

The township’s sewage authority is already using some of JSHi’s products, such as the Biological Activity Enhancer, and township officials said thousands of dollars are saved each year by using the product.

There are three parts of the new EcoTowne initiative.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

First, the municipality will have the opportunity to use some of the green products throughout the township, primarily in the park system, Sanford said. A major benefit is the ability to use less fertilizer, she added.

The group is also finalizing details to team up with five food service businesses in Cinnaminson so they can use the product in their grease traps. Sanford said the products assist in breaking down fats, oils and grease that could pose a big problem in the pipes that run throughout the town.

Finally, Cinnaminson residents can benefit directly through the partnership by using the products, at no cost. Two hundred residents will be given products to use on their home gardens and another 100 who own septic tanks can use a liquid septic management system for a year.

“Buildup will be reduced,” Sanford said. “We’ll maximize the [septic tanks’] performance. So, everything will end up being cleaner.”

Thursday was the first day for residents who pre-registered to pick up their products. There will be two more days to pick up free product—Sunday, May 22 and Wednesday, May 25, at the gazebo. Residents can register here. There is also a Facebook page to garner interest.

Deputy Mayor Don Brauckmann said the collaboration helps in efforts for the township to “go green.”

“We seek to constantly improve the quality of life for our residents and are dedicated to making Cinnaminson a desirable community and a more environmentally friendly place to live,” he said.

Residents who are using JSHi products will monitor the products they are using and report feedback to the company. 

“It’s a partnership that’s really beneficial for everybody,” Sanford said. “The township gets to have greener operations, hopefully save some money, have more beautiful grounds.”

JSHi CEO Kevin Mulvihill said the group is proud to collaborate with the township.

“We look forward to working together with the first EcoTowne to support their goal of becoming a greener community,” he said.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here