Celebrating Earth Day in New Jersey
Earth Day is traditionally celebrated on April 22nd. New Jersey has lots of different events happening on that week that demonstrate support for environmental protection. Keep reading as we share with you New Jersey Earth Day activities, events, ways to make your home more ecofriendly, as well as easy ways to celebrate Earth Day at home.
A special bonus for Jersey Family Fun readers….. Since May marks the end of plastic bags from retailers in New Jersey we have a special offer to help you save 15% on reusable bags. Keep reading for that deal.

New Jersey Earth Day Activities
We’re starting our guide to ways to celebrate Earth Day in New Jersey with a listing of family-friendly Earth Day events in New Jersey. While Earth Day is April 22, these events take place before, during, and after April 22. Be sure to click on the event titles for additional information.
North Jersey Earth Day Events
The following is our listing of Earth Day activities in Northern New Jersey organized by county.
Bergen County Earth Day Events
- East Rutherford NJ – Earth Day Celebration in East Rutherford at East Rutherford Library 2023
- Leonia NJ – Earth Day Festival in Leonia at Overpeck County Park 2023
- Oradell NJ – Earth Day Craft in Oradell at Oradell Library 2023
- Paramus NJ Earth Day Activities
- Ridgefield Park NJ Earth Day Activities
- Rutherford NJ – Earth Day Tree Festival in Rutherford at Lincoln Park 2023
- Ridgewood NJ – Daffodil Festival and Earth Day Fair in Ridgewood at Van Neste Square 2023
- Find more Bergen County Earth Day Events
Essex County Earth Day Events
- Bloomfield NJ – Earth Day Celebration in Bloomfield 2023
- Glen Ridge NJ – Arts and Eco Fair in Glen Ridge 2023
- Montclair NJ – Earth Day Celebration in Montclair 2023
- Newark NJ – Earth Day Celebration in Newark at Newark Museum of Art 2023
- Roseland NJ – Earth Day Celebration in Roseland at Essex County Environmental Center 2023
- Find more Essex County Earth Day Events
Hudson County Earth Day Events
- Hoboken NJ – Earth Day Celebration in Hoboken 2023
- Jersey City NJ Earth Day Activities
- Earth Day Celebration in Jersey City at Liberty State Park – unable to confirm for 2023
- Earth Day Celebration in Jersey City at Lincoln Park 2023
- North Bergen NJ – Earth Day Celebration in North Bergen at Braddock Park 2023
- Secaucus NJ Earth Day Activities
- Find more Hudson County Earth Day Events
Morris County Earth Day Events
- Mendham Township NJ – Earth Day Celebration in Mendham Township – unable to confirm for 2023
- Morristown NJ – Arbor Day Celebration at The Frelinghuysen Arboretum 2023
- Rockaway NJ – Earth Day Celebration in Rockaway at Rockaway Townsquare – unable to confirm for 2023
- Find more Morris County Earth Day Events
Passaic County Earth Day Events
- Haledon NJ – Earth Day Celebration in Haledon at Haledon Library 2023
- Milford NJ – Earth Day Celebration in West Milford 2023
- Paterson NJ – Earth Day Celebration in Paterson at Eastside Park 2023
- Ringwood NJ Earth Day Activities
- Wayne NJ – Earth Day Celebration in Wayne at Laurelwood Arboretum 2023
- Woodland Park NJ – Earth Day Celebration in Woodland Park at Garret Mountain Reservation 2023
- Find more Passaic County Earth Day Events
Sussex County Earth Day Events
- Sussex NJ – Earth Day Celebration in Sussex at High Point State Park 2023
- Find more Sussex County Earth Day Events
Union County Earth Day Events
- Mountainside NJ – Earth Day Festival in Mountainside at Trailside Nature and Science Center 2023
- Scotch Plains NJ – Earth Day Clean Up in Scotch Plains 2023
- Union NJ – Arbor Day Celebration in Union at Liberty Hall Museum 2023
- Find more Union County Earth Day Events
Warren County Earth Day Events
- Hope Township NJ – Earth Day Fair in Hope Township 2023
- Find more Warren County Earth Day Events
Central Jersey Earth Day Events
For Earth Day activities in Central New Jersey, review our county listings of New Jersey Earth Day events.
Hunterdon County Earth Day Events
- Lambertville NJ – Earth Day Storytime in Lambertville – We are unable to confirm this for 2023.
- Find more Hunterdon County Earth Day Events
Mercer County Earth Day Events
- Mercer County Library Earth Day events for 2023
- East Windsor NJ – Earth Day Activities in East Windsor at Hickory Corner Branch Library 2023
- Ewing Township NJ
- Earth Day Activity in Ewing Township at Ewing Branch Library – none for 2023
- Hightstown NJ – Earth Day Celebration in Hightstown 2023
- Lawrence NJ – Earth Day Activity in Lawrence at Lawrence Branch Library 2023
- Lawrence Twp NJ Earth Day Activities
- Earth Day Fun in Lawrence Township at Quaker Bridge Mall – We are unable to confirm this for 2023.
- Earth Day Clean Up in Lawrence Township 2023
- Pennington NJ – Earth Day Craft in Pennington at Hopewell Branch Library 2023
- West Windsor NJ – Earth Day Nature Hunt in West Windsor – We are unable to confirm this for 2023.
- Find more Mercer County Earth Day Events
Middlesex County Earth Day Events
- Edison NJ Earth Day Activities
- Highland Park NJ – Earth Day Festival in Highland Park 2023
- Matawan NJ – Earth Day Hike in Matawan at Cheesequake State Park – We are unable to confirm this for 2023.
- North Brunswick NJ – Earth Day Celebration in North Brunswick at Pulda Farm – We are unable to confirm this for 2023.
- Woodbridge NJ – Earth Day Festival in Woodbridge 2023
- Find more Middlesex County Earth Day Events
Monmouth County Earth Day Events
- Belmar NJ – Earth Day Family Volunteer Opportunity at Belmar Beach 2023
- Bradley Beach NJ – Earth Day Festival in Bradley Beach at Riley Park 2023
- Fair Haven NJ – Earth Day Celebration in Fair Haven 2023
- Holmdel NJ – Earth Day Festival in Holmdel at Bayonet Farm 2023
- Middletown NJ – Earth Day Celebration in Middletown 2023
- Port Monmouth NJ – Earth Day Shore Planting in Port Monmouth at Bayshore Waterfront Park – no event for 2023
- Ocean Township NJ – Earth Day Festival in Ocean Township 2022 – We are unable to confirm this for 2023.
- Find more Monmouth County Earth Day Events
Somerset County Earth Day Events
- Montgomery Township NJ – Earth Day Recycling Fair in Montgomery Township 2023
- Raritan NJ – Earth Day in Raritan 2022 – As of April 19, 2023 we have not been able to confirm these Earth Day activities for the current year.
- Somerville NJ – Earth Day Clean Up in Somerville 2023
- Watchung NJ – Earth Day Celebration in Watchung 2022 – As of April 19, 2023 we have not been able to confirm these Earth Day activities for the current year.
- Find more Somerset County Earth Day Events
South Jersey Earth Day Events
Kids and families would love to spend Earth Day enjoying New Jersey Earth Day activities in Southern New Jersey. Review our county listings for the Earth Day events closest to you.
Atlantic County Earth Day Events
- Atlantic City NJ Earth Day Activities
- Egg Harbor Township NJ Earth Day Activities
- Earth Day Festival in Egg Harbor Township at ACUA Environmental Park 2023 – One of the largest if not the largest Earth Day event in New Jersey.
- Earth Day Toddler Time in Egg Harbor Township at Inland Family Success Center – will not happen for 2023
- Hammonton NJ – Earth Day Project in Hammonton at Hammonton Family Success Center 2023
- Mays Landing NJ – Earth Day Fair in Mays Landing – As of April 19, 2023 we have not been able to confirm these Earth Day activities for the current year.
- Find more Atlantic County Earth Day Events
Burlington County Earth Day Events
- Eastampton NJ – Earth Fair in Eastampton at Historic Smithville – not yet confirmed for 2023.
- New Libson NJ – Earth Day Celebration in New Lisbon at Brendan T Byrne State Forest 2023
- Westampton NJ – Earth Day Clean Up in Westampton at Rancocas Nature Center 2023
- Find more Burlington County Earth Day Events
Camden County Earth Day Events
- Atco NJ – Earth Day Celebration in Atco – unable to confirm for 2023
- Blackwood NJ – Sustainability Festival in Blackwood at Camden County Office of Sustainability – unable to confirm for 2023
- Collingswood NJ – Earth Day Event in Collingswood 2023
- Haddon Township NJ – Earth Day Drive Thru Event in Haddon Township 2023
- Find more Camden County Earth Day Events
Cape May County Earth Day Events
- Cape May NJ – Earth Day Celebration in Cape May at Cape May County Park 2023
- Sea Isle City NJ – Green Fair in Sea Isle City at Excursion Park – unable to confirm for 2023
- Find more Cape May County Earth Day Events
Cumberland County Earth Day Events
- Millville NJ – Earth Day Fair in Millville at WheatonArts 2023
- Vineland NJ – Earth Day Fair in Vineland – unable to confirm for 2023
- Find more Cumberland County Earth Day Events
Gloucester County Earth Day Events
- Deptford NJ Earth Day Activities
- National Park NJ – Earth Day and Spring Festival in National Park at Red Bank Battlefield 2023
- Find more Gloucester County Earth Day Events
Ocean County Earth Day Events
- Beachwood NJ – Earth Day Event in Beachwood at Jakes Branch County Park 2023
- Brick Township NJ – Green Fair in Brick Township 2022 – unable to confirm for 2023
- Island Heights NJ – Earth Day Celebration in Island Heights 2023
- Point Pleasant NJ – Earth Day Celebration in Point Pleasant at Riverfront Park 2023
- Toms River NJ – Earth Day Festival in Toms River at Cattus Island County Park 2023
- Find more Ocean County Earth Day Events
Salem County Earth Day Events
- Find more Salem County Earth Day Events *(At this time, we have not located any Earth Day events for this county.)
We will continue to add to this list throughout the month of April. If you know of a family-friendly Earth Day event that should be added to this post or any of ours listing Earth Day events please email me at [email protected].

Earth Day Activities – Easy Ways to Make Your Home More Ecofriendly
Most of us want to take steps to reduce our family’s carbon footprint. We want to do more than just recycle, but it can seem overwhelming, especially if we feel like we are doing it all alone.
Taking steps to make your home more ecofriendly doesn’t have to be overwhelming. You can get the kids and teenagers involved in making changes. They may even have some ideas to add to ours. To get started check out these easy ways to make your home more Earth-friendly.
Bag it wisely
By now you probably know that May 4, 2022, started a statewide ban on plastic bags in New Jersey.
“Starting May 4, 2022, New Jersey retail stores, grocery stores and food service businesses may not provide or sell single-use plastic carryout bags and polystyrene foam food service products. Single-use paper carryout bags are allowed to be provided or sold, except by grocery stores equal to or larger than 2500 square feet, which may only provide or sell reusable carryout bags.”
NJDEP
If you haven’t been using reusable bags, now’s the time to start. Or if you find that you never have enough bags when you go to the store, it’s time to stock up.
Tips to reduce your plastic and paper waste
The Dry Goods Refillery store in New Jersey sent me a wonderful collection of Earth-friendly products to try out with my teens. I am loving them. Not only are they fun and easy to use, but I know they are going to help my family cut down on our paper, plastic, and food waste.
Shop Dry Goods Refillery in person at 193 Bellevue Avenue in Montclair or their online Dry Goods Refillery website. Not only are their products kind to the Earth so are their shipping methods. Items from their shop are shipped plastic-free to the lower 48 states. If you’re local you can even opt for delivery. Did you know Dry Goods Refillery is New Jersey’s FIRST plastic-free grocery store? Learn more about this innovative women-owned business at their website.
Replace plastic wrap or aluminum foil with Olsen + Olsen Food Wrap and Food Huggers.
Olsen + Olsen Food Wrap
Canadian organic bees wax, organic jojoba oil, organic pine rosin come together to create a washable, reusable, compostable, and plastic-free wrap for foods. Unlike plastic wrap, these wraps won’t stick to your hands when you try to use them. No fighting to get the wrap to cut across the sharp edge of a box. Take out the size wrap you need and gently fold or mold that to fit your food.
The wraps can be molded over a jar or wrapped around a piece of fruit or some cookies. They come in packs of 3 in various sizes and fun patterns.

I have never seen anything like these food huggers. They are like somewhat adjustable flexible lids. The food huggers come in packs of 5 in various sizes. BPA and Phthalate Free they can snugly fit over a piece of food, a glass, a jar, etc.
Can of soda you don’t want to go flat? A small plate of leftovers that you need to cover? Use the food huggers. I even use them with my kids’ drinks they don’t finish. One food hugger over the top of the glass and it’s good till the next meal.

Replace plastic sandwich bags with Olsen + Olsen Food Wrap or plastic containers.
I like using the Olsen + Olsen Food Wraps to wrap my kids’ sandwiches as well. They make a great alternative to plastic sandwich bags. Plastic containers have been our go-to for as long as I remember. But sometimes those containers can be bulky in a kid’s lunchbox or they break down over time in the dishwasher. Since the food wraps mold to the food they tend to take up less space. I find the wraps easier to wash as well.

Whether you choose plastic containers or food wraps, both can help your family cut down on the waste that comes from using plastic bags.
Replace paper napkins and towels with Cheeks Ahoy Unpaper Towels
Cheeks Ahoy Unpaper Towels
A napkin in each of my teens’ lunchboxes every day. A few paper towels every time I need to wipe down a counter or clean a surface. All that paper starts to add up and becomes very wasteful. I love the idea of using these Cheeks Ahoy Unpaper Towels.
Each pack of Cheeks Ahoy Unpaper Towels includes 12 microfleece towels. They come in 3 different color options. I received the rainbow. They are bright and fun. Right now, they are stored on my kitchen counter so I never forget I have them and to use them as an alternative to paper towels.
Next week, I plan to start using them in the kids’ lunchboxes. I’m hopeful that their fun color will make it easy for my boys to remember to use them AND to bring them back home.

Tips to reduce your food waste
I am so over food going bad so quickly. My husband and I are good about keeping the fridge stocked with fruits and veggies. But if we aren’t very intentional about eating it every day it goes bad. So now I’m trying a variety of methods to keep our food fresher AND making sure it gets eaten.
Food Hugger
Have a leftover lemon? A half-cut tomato? Don’t trash the other half or let it spoil. Use those same food huggers we talked about earlier. Slip a food hugger on the cut side and help it stay fresh until you’re ready to eat it.

Vejibag Crisper Bags
Keep that Romaine lettuce, celery, and cucumbers crisper and fresh longer with Vejibag Crisper Bags.
The Vejibag vegetable preservation bag creates a safe space for vegetables. When damp, the bag wicks away excess moisture while keeping vegetables well-hydrated and fresh for up to 2 weeks (or more).
Certified organic and made in the USA, these bags use 100% organic french terry cotton, grown by the Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Cooperative, and are hand sewn by employee-owned Opportunity Threads, in Valdese, North Carolina. The bags come in two sizes.
Your food and you can feel good about using these bags.

Freshpaper Sheets
One of the most popular fruits we keep on hand are berries: strawberries, blueberries, etc. They can go bad so crazy quickly. These Freshpaper Sheets can help lengthen the shelf life of these foods. Who couldn’t use a few extra days to enjoy their fruit?

Add the Freshpaper Sheets to the fruit bowl of the fridge drawer. One sheet can last up to 30 days.
After the month is over you can feel good about tossing these sheets. They are recyclable and compost-friendly. If you’re like me and worry about forgetting when the month is up, just write the ‘expiration’ date on them. That’s what I did.

Glass mason jars
I recently saw a post on Facebook about how some families are storing fresh fruit in glass mason jars to help their fruit last longer. I no longer have strawberries left from my picking at the Father Son Farm, but I do have lots of jars. I thought it couldn’t hurt to try.
What I’ve discovered in trying is that those smaller jars are perfect for packing berries in my teens’ lunchboxes. Earlier in the week, when the fruit is fresh, I rinse and pack them into the jars. In the morning, it makes packing their lunches so much easier because I can just grab a jar.
I gotta say I think the boys feel like they are eating something fancier when it comes from those pretty mason jars. Those jars are all empty when they come back home. You can get your own set of wide-mouth mason jars on Amazon using my affiliate link or pick some up in your grocery store.
Put your trash to work
Composting! One of the hobbies, I wanted to take up during the pandemic is composting. I haven’t gotten to it yet, but it’s still on my list. I feel like my family has always been fairly good at not generating a lot of trash, but there’s always room for improvement and this is one area we need to do better.
Amazon has a great collection of compost tumblers and bins (affiliate link), but your local recycling authority may also sell some and a reduced price. In Atlantic County, NJ the ACUA not only sells compost systems but they also teach classes on composting. Check out their page on how to build your own compost bin.
Make the most of the rain
Don’t let the rain from the next rainstorm just run off into the street. Put it to good use! Rain barrels can help you collect the rain and reuse it to water your garden or lawn. Rainwater WITHOUT chlorine and water treatment chemicals, is an excellent water source for lawns, plants, and gardens.
Did you know you can cut household water bills by up to 40% with a rain barrel or two in your backyard?
When shopping for a rain barrel look for these 3 features.
- An overflow hose for those times when the rain barrel is at risk of overflowing.
- A spigot
- A fine mesh lid to keep debris from getting in and mosquitos from getting out.
Again in South Jersey you can order and pick up a rain barrel from the ACUA. The ACUA will also be holding classes on building your own rain barrel. If you’re not local to the ACUA another great source for shopping for rain barrels is Amazon.
Grow your own veggies and fruit
We did this last year and will have more details in the next day or two about this.
Shop local when you can
Shopping closer to home helps you support local farmers but it also cuts down on your time in the car. You’re also more likely to get meats, fruits, vegetables, and flowers that have less exposure to pesticides.
CSA
There are several farms in New Jersey that offer CSAs. While we don’t have a list, check in with your favorite farm they can probably make a few recommendations if they don’t have their own.
Farmer’s Markets
Farmer’s Markets have always been popular in New Jersey. During the past two years, they became more popular. Many offered convenient services like drive-thru pick-up and curbside service. Check our list of New Jersey Farmers Markets for some recommendations. NJ Farmers Markets run from the spring into the late fall.
A few More Fun and Simple Ways to Celebrate Earth Day at home with Kids
- Kids love dirt! Plant shrubs or trees in your backyard.
- Organize a cleanup day at your school.
- Read an Earth Day story.
- Don’t leave the water running while brushing your teeth or washing your face and hands.
- Go on an Earth Day scavenger hunt in your backyard or at the local park. Search for pine cones, flowers, rocks and sticks.
- Spend the day outdoors with your family.
- Make a bird house or feeder.
- Have a picnic!
