Awards and Recognition

• October 25, 2023
  NEW JERSEY HONORS RECYCLING AND SUSTAINABILITY LEADERS DURING ANNUAL AWARDS PROGRAM

  The MCMUA's District Recycling Coordinator, Anthony Marrone was presented a Leadership Award when The NJDEP honored businesses, organizations and individual recycling leaders at its October 25, 2023 annual symposium hosted by the Association of New Jersey Recyclers.

  

  “My DEP colleagues and I congratulate this year’s award winners and applaud them for sharing their passion for recycling, waste reduction and conservation of resources with all of us,” Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette said. “These leaders are making a difference through the excitement and new ideas they bring to their communities, their businesses and their schools. In doing so, they continue to build upon New Jersey’s tradition of leading the way on recycling for the nation.”

  Leadership Award – Anthony Marrone

  Marrone, District Recycling Coordinator for Morris County, has implemented numerous successful recycling and waste reduction programs. He improved the operations of the county’s household hazardous waste program, obtained NJDEP grants for equipment modernization, and addressed a curbside collection crew employee shortage by making a county-run Commercial Driver’s License training program more accessible to staff. He also designed educational flyers, decals, and signs, instituted a boat shrink wrap recycling program, performed municipal curbside inspections, and assisted municipal recycling coordinators. In addition, Marrone established an intern program for students seeking experience in the field of recycling, developed an electronic waste drop-off program, attended various events where he educates the public about recycling, and established reusable bag drop-off stations.

• October 11, 2019 - 30th Awards Program - Environmental Excellence Luncheon - Awards include:
   
  • Ina Braun - Bagtivist Extraordinaire! Award!
  • Doug Cabana, Morris County Freeholder - Recycling and Sustainability Award
  • Eric Gabrielson, Republic Services - Man in the Trenches Award
  • Steve Nebesni, County of Morris Employee - Above and Beyond M.O.R.E. Award
  • Girl Scout Junior Troop 96407, based at the John Hill School in Boonton - Waste Reduction and Sustainability Award
  • Lake Hopatcong Foundation - Clean Water Stewardship Award
  • Nancy Lennon, Parsippany High School Science Teacher - Sustainability and Stewardship Award
  • Alison Maxwell, Director of Kemmerer Library, Harding Township - Renew Overdue Bags Award
  • Mendham Borough Schools Green Team - Dream Green Team Award
  • Wegmans of Hanover - "Super" Market Recycling Award
  • Wharton Borough Recycling Depot Attendants - Managing the Depot Award
  • The Willows at Roxbury Complex - ReBag to Recycling Bin Award
     

• May 12, 2017 - 29th Awards Program - Environmental Excellence Luncheon - Awards include:
   
  • Nancy Meade received the "Recycling is Fundamental" award.
  • Mary Ellen Potucek, on-site manager of the Robert Cole Senior Housing Complex of Chester Borough, was given the "Golden Age Recycler" award.
  • Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., located in Whippany, received an award entitled "Insuring a Better Tomorrow by Caring about Today."
  • Rob Grow, the owner of Potbelly's Riverside Café, located on Main St. in Rockaway Borough, received the "Rockaway River Clean Water Stewardship" Award.
  • Rosemary Schmidt was presented her with the "Leading by Example" Award.
  • Earth Friendly Products received the "Recycling Naturally" Award.
  • The Woman's Club of Morristown was honored with the "Supporting Sustainability" Award for their fourth annual Bra Drive.
     

• May 20, 2016 - 28th Awards Program - Environmental Excellence Luncheon - Awards include:
   
  • The Power of Green Living, Leading,Teaching - Frank Cappuccio, Educator and Environmental Action Club, Morris Hills High School
  • Turning Limitations into Success! - Green Vision, Inc.,Tim Butler, President
  • Stellar Recycling Coordinator - Sarah Jane Noll, Chester Township Municipal Recycling Coordinator
  • Clean Water Stewardship - Raritan Headwaters Association, Bedminster
  • On Guard Against Litter! - Lt. Rob Scherr, Rockaway Township Police Department
  • R_x Bottle Reuse for the Malawi Project - Molly Szpakowski, Morris Catholic High School
  • Serving Up Waste Reduction - Holly Tighe, Director of Dining Services, Chartwells, County College of Morris
  • Leading by Example - Wilmington Paper Corporation, Montville Township
  • Hy Nadel Creativity Award “Every child is an artist.” Pablo Picasso - Tricia Goginsky, Educator and Artist, Morris Knolls High School
  • Recipient of the Maraziti Falcon Environmental Excellence Scholarship - Grace Faulkner, Morris County School of Technology
     

• Apr. 30, 2015 - 27th Awards Program - Environmental Excellence Luncheon - Awards include:
   
  • Working Together for a Healthy Whippany River
    • Bayer Healthcare, Hanover
    • Robin Dente, Assistant Administrator, Township of Hanover
    • Whippany River Watershed Action Committee
       
  • Notas Sustainability, It’s Drew, It’s True, Christina Notas, Sustainability Coordinator, Drew University
  • Impact Through Recycling, Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, Flanders
  • Watching and Calculating Successful Recycling, Casio America, Inc., Dover
  • Blossoming Recycling at Knoll Gardens, John Coronato, Property Manager, Knoll Gardens Apartments, Parsippany
  • It's No Time To Waste, Liam Nash, Founder of GreenRetailAlliance.org
  • En Pointe with Reuse, Amanda Bloom, Founder of "A Chance To Dance"
  • Burrowing Ahead To the Top of the Heap, Borough of Chatham's Recycling Program
  • Recipient of the Maraziti Falcon Environmental Excellence Scholarship, Natalie Levine, Morristown High School
     
• Apr. 11, 2014 - 26th Recycling Awards Dinner - Highly Caffeinated Recycling - Awards include:
   
  • Picking Up The Spare Award – Joan Bowling, Denville
  • Bobbing For Recyclables Award – Bob Olivo, Netcong
  • Walking Tall Award – Al Knoth, Rockaway Township
  • Walking Tall Award – Tim Zachok, Pequannock
  • Meghan “Natural Lite” Award – Meghan Van Dyk, Daily Record
  • On Par Recycling Award, Mike Prall, Parsippany
  • Marshall McLuhan Recycling Award – County College of Morris Media Center, Randolph
  • Presentation of the Maraziti, Falcon & Healey Environmental Excellence Scholarship – Naomi Pohl, Recipient
  • Tried Our Best To Recycle The Rest Award – Puleo’s Brick Oven, Florham Park
  • Re-use Is The Solution Award – Furnishing Solutions, Morris Plains
  • Restoring Our Habitat Award – Morris Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Randolph
  • The Hy Nadel Creativity Award - Kelly Whalen, County College of Morris
     
• Oct. 16, 2013 - MCMUA receives 2013 Educational Program Award from NJDEP
   
  Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority (MCMUA) Receives the 2013 Educational Program Award From the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) At the 33rd Annual Recycling Symposium & Luncheon sponsored by the Association of New Jersey Recyclers on October 16, 2013, the MCMUA received the 2013 Educational Program Award from the NJDEP. The award was given for the 25 recycling awards dinners hosted by the MCMUA, the first having occurred in 1988. The purpose of the dinners was to honor individuals, businesses, municipalities, social and civic organizations, schools, houses of worship, and others who have been exceptionally involved in projects involving waste prevention, reuse, recycling, composting, and litter abatement. In the photo above, Penny Jones, Morris County recycling education specialist, accepts the award from Guy Watson, chief of the NJDEP Bureau of Recycling & Planning.
   
• May 23, 2013 - Litter Cleanup Award was presented to the MCMUA's Fred Wilson
   
  Fred Wilson, Operations Manager of the Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority's curbside recycling department, was presented an award by the New Jersey Clean Communities Council at their annual awards banquet in Jersey City. In addition to supervising the day-to-day operations of the MCMUA curbside recycling collection program, Fred also oversees road cleanups along county roadways and is directly responsible for having 93 miles of roads cleaned over the last 14 months. The MCMUA is proud of Fred’s accomplishments and we congratulate him on a job very well done!
   
   
• Apr. 17, 2013 - 25th Annual Recycling Awards Dinner - Food For Thought: the Past, the Present, and the Future of Recycling - Awards include:
   
  • First Prize For A Second Chance Award – Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover
  • Cleanup Superstar Award – Pastor Sidney Williams, Bethel A.M.E. Church, Morristown
  • McRex (Morris County Recycling Excellence) Award – Michael Petonak, Boonton
  • Extra, Extra! Read All About It Award – Michael Daigle, Lawrence Ragonese, and Fred Snowflack
  • It’s S’cool To Be Green! Award – Mendham Township Elementary School, Mendham Township
  • A+ For A Cleaner Mount Arlington Award – Mount Arlington Public School, Mount Arlington
  • Take One: Action! Award – Chatham Township Environmental Commission, Chatham Township
  • Composting’s A Blast! Go, Rocket! Award – School District of the Chathams, Chatham Borough and Chatham Township
  • Presentation of the Maraziti, Falcon & Healey Environmental Excellence Scholarship – Nayna Shah, Morristown High School, Morristown
  • The Hy Nadel Creativity Award - Theodore Largman, Ph.D.
     
• Nov. 4, 2011 - 24rd Annual Recycling Awards Dinner - Recycling - It's In the Cards - Awards include:
   
  • The Mandator Award – Stephanie Gorman
  • Litter Bugs Me! Award – Dennis Kearns
  • Slice of Recycling Award – Shari Mendelson
  • Producer Responsibility Award – David Thompson
  • Teaching By Example Award – Phil Infantolino
  • Recycling – It’s in the Card Catalogue Award Parsippany-Troy Hills Library, Main Branch
  • Presentation of the Maraziti, Falcon & Healey Environmental Excellence Scholarship to Nicole Gomez
  • R_Xcycling Award – Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
  • Doing It Right – Jumbo Size Award – Wharton Costco
  • Recycling – One Can Award ReCommunity Recycling, Inc.
  • The Hy Nadel Creativity Award – Lois Mettler and Caroll Saks
     
• Nov. 5, 2010 - 23rd Annual Recycling Awards Dinner - Recycling - A Metamorphosis - Awards include:
   
  • Individuals Who Have Made A Difference Awards
    • Brown, The New Green Award – Jeff Brown, Thomas Jefferson School, Morris School District
    • Sealing The Lid On Waste Award – Bruce Gerritson, Hishi Plastics, Lincoln Park
    • Emerging From The Chrysalis Award – Kevin Mackey and Tom Piorkowski, Lincoln Park
    • Making Recycling Everyone’s Business Award – Greg Pavlic, Parsippany
    • Rags Into Riches Award – Harrison Richlin, Mount Olive High School
  • Education Awards
    • Recycling, Like Honey, Is Sweet Award – Dennis B. O’Brien School, Rockaway Township School District
    • Turning Aluminum Into Bronze Award – Hanover Township Girl
      Scout Troop 419
    • Welcome Home, Native Bird Species! Award – Morris County School of Technology, Denville
  • Business Awards
    • The Best Choice Award – Ag Choice, Andover
    • If It’s Rechargeable, It’s Recyclable Award – Rechargeable Battery Corporation
    • Green To The Last Drop Award – Rockline Industries, Montville
  • Municipal Award
    • A Step Ahead Award – Town of Morristown
  • Special Recognition
    • Presentation of the MCMUA Resolution Recognizing Herman (“Hy”) Nadel, Slide Show Featuring 18 Awards Dinner Sheet Cakes Baked and Decorated by Hy, and Announcement Regarding the Hy Nadel Creativity Award
    • Thinking Outside The Box Award – Michael Albert, Artist
    • Freeholder Liaison Par Excellence Award – Jack J. Schrier
       

Nov. 6, 2009 - 22nd Annual Recycling Awards Dinner - Recycling's a Roller Coaster - Awards include: Brewer’s a Doer! Award ─ Adam W. Brewer; Philanthropy Is a Family Affair Award ─ Lindsey Bissinger, Scott Bissinger, Josh Bissinger; Caring About the Community Award ─ Nayna Shah; It’s “Owed” to the Rockaway River Award ─ Rockaway River Watershed Cabinet; The Academy Award for Recycling – Deborah D’Urso; Trashless Thursdays Are Tops! Award – Torey J. Sabatini School; Green Apples for the Teachers Award – Hanover Township Girl Scout Cadette Troop 1919; Presentation of the Maraziti, Falcon & Healey Environmental Excellence Scholarship to Emily Wills; The “Friar Truck” Award – Cedar Crest, Pequannock Township; Soaring Higher With Recycling Award –
GE-Aviation Systems, LLC, Hanover Township; Building for a “Greener” Tomorrow Award– Homeless Solutions, Inc., Morristown.  In addition the dinner commemorated Seven “Stars” who have retired from or moved on from the municipal recycling arena within the past five years:Barbara Bate, Chatham Borough; Hal Bermingham, Morris Plains; Joe Giordano, Morris Township; Jasmine Lim, Parsippany-Troy Hills and Montville; Joe Lowell, Denville; Penny Newell, Mendham Township; Gino Recksiek, Jefferson.
 

Nov. 7, 2008 - 21st Annual Recycling Awards Dinner - The Golden Age of Recycling -  Awards include: Counseling for the Plan-It Award – Ron Kevitz; Recycling is Neat! Award – Mark Lavery and Ron Matusiak; Living for the Past, “Levin” for the Future – Carie Levin; Renew and Recycle Award – Don Theriault; Grinding Trash to a Halt Award - Martin Brooks; “N.E.” Morris County Conservation is Good Conservation Award – Kinnelon Conserves; Teaching, Preaching and Reaching for Recycling – Marge Wentworth; The “Write” Angle on the Environment Award – Pam Altman; Working Toward a Greener Future Award – Park Lake School; Collective Wisdom Award – Morris Knolls High School Ecology Club; Presentation of the Maraziti, Falcon & Healey Environmental Excellence Scholarship to Cynthia Onorevele, President of the Morris Knolls High School Ecology Club; Recycling – It’s Academic! Award – Christine Farias, Ph.D; Savings The Earth Can Bank On Award – PNC Bank, Rockaway Townsquare; Global “Worming” Award – TerraCycle, Inc.; Recycling flies high on the golden anniversary of the MCMUA.  In addition, this dinner commemorated the MCMUA's 50th anniversary. Click here to read about the dinner and the awards recipients. 
 

Nov. 2, 2007 - 20th Annual Recycling Awards Dinner - One Score For Recycling.  Awards include: Campaigning for Clean Communities Award – Michelle Guacci; Leaving a Green Path in His Wake Award – Frank Soriano; Dressing Denville for Success Award – Kathy Zuzock; The Green “Gardner” Award – Adam Gardner; All’s Green on the Western Front Award – Mendham Borough Environmental Commission, Mendham Township Environmental Commission, and Mendham Junior Women’s Club; It’s in the Bag Award – Mount Olive Solid Waste Advisory Committee; ReStoring Faith in Reuse Award – Morris Habitat for Humanity; Responsible is as Responsible Does Award – Matt Myers; Whole Foods, Whole Picture Award – Whole Foods Market, Madison, NJ; Go Green, Go Army! Award – U.S. Army Garrison, Picatinny Arsenal; Providing the Foundation for Recycling in NJ Award – The Honorable Thomas H. Kean, The Honorable Paul Contillo, and The Honorable Arthur Albohn. Click here to read about the dinner and the awards recipients. 
  

Nov. 3, 2006 - 19th Annual Recycling Awards Dinner - Recycling - Plan It.  Awards include: The Morris County North Star – Gino Recksiek; Spokesman for the Planet – Bruce Hoppe and Robert Young; Vim, Vigor and “Vidality” – Christine Vidal; Schleicher – You Gotta Like Her! – Judy Schleicher; She’s “Scout” of This World – Mary-Ann Lewis, Morris Area Girl Scout Council; Head to Toe Conservation – Woman’s Club of Denville; Plan It, Pick It, Pack It – Cub Scout Pack 249, Budd Lake; It’s “S’cool” to Recycle – Delphine Slotten; Persistence is a Virtue – Mary Fischetti; No Recyclables Left Behind – A foursome from Riverview School in Denville: Diane Burton, Mary Ellen Coiro, Kris Johnson, Paul Kruger; Keeping the Effervescence in Recycling – Michael E. Degen, Cadbury Schweppes Science & Technology Center. Click here to read about the dinner and the awards recipients.
   

Nov. 4, 2005 - 18th Annual Recycling Awards Dinner - The Faces of Recycling.  Awards include Ronald McCycle – Catherine Belotti, the Montville Township Women’s Club; Joe to the Rescue – Joe Cuva, Madison; Scouts’ Honor – Boonton Twp. Boy Scout Troop 69; She said, "Let there be recycling!" – Andrea Bent, Suzanne Koerner, Jean Mattle and Joanne Sternberg; "I can’t believe we’re not recycling!" – Barbara Miller, Morris County Office of Temporary Assistance; Sue. Me for Caring – Suzanne Mc Cluskey, Morris Plains; "I scream for D. Madison and Heath Bar Crunch!" – Dolores Madison and Kathy Heath, Randolph; "Make the world a better place" – Morris Area Girl Scout Council; Shop Right, Recycle Right – Christopher Kenny, Morris County School of Technology; Taking the Lead – The Willow School, Gladstone; Moving in the Right Direction – AAA New Jersey Automobile Club; Victoria’s Victory – Victoria Forte, Denville; and A Green Pill for Mother Nature – Pfizer Inc., Morris Plains.
 

Nov. 5, 2004 - 17th Annual Recycling Awards Dinner - The Sounds of Recycling.   Awards included the Styro-Gyro Award – Jaclyn Vanderhoof, Randolph; D. Queen Bee Award – Donna Bangiola, Morristown; It’s Scout of This World Award – Boy Scout Troop 173, Parsippany; Roads Scholar Awards – Hank Muller and Bob Riker, Denville; Testa-ment to Recycling Award – Jerry Testa, Long Hill; Eye of the Tiger Award Award – Rocky Metzger, Jefferson; Recyclers’ Watchdog Award – Russell Santos, Mt. Arlington; Vivace Recycling Coordinator Award – Patty DiCenzo, Boonton Township; Subtracting the Waste - Making a Difference Award – Mary Ann Lynn, Montville; Pedaling Soles Award – Denville Recycling Staff, Denville, A Sharp Crew Award – Chatham Borough Environmental Commission;  “Why pay?” Award – The Lake Road Irregulars; Whispering Success Award – The Quiet Man Irish Pub, Dover; Saving Motherboard Earth Award – Intel, Parsippany; and Cops and Recyclers Award – Sheriff’s Labor Assistance Program.
 

Thurs., May 20, 2004 - Liz Sweedy was honored at the first New Jersey Clean Communities Awards Banquet held in New Brunswick. She received a New Jersey Clean Communities Education Award. Below is what was read when Liz received the award.

With Litter clinging to her sweater, Liz Sweedy, Morris County Clean Communities Coordinator, visits a classroom to tell the students why they shouldn't litter. She reads the book The Wartville Wizard and shows slides from the book. She introduces them to her puppets and tells them about storm drains and how litter travels through them and how plastic wrap looks like a jellyfish in the water and is eaten by fish. Liz Sweedy has given 45 of these small classroom presentations this spring to over 900 elementary school students. In addition, she contracts with several educational presenters who also educate in the Morris County schools, usually in an assembly type format to all ages of students.
  

Tues., May 11, 2004 - Our very own Penny Jones, recycling education specialist for the MCMUA, was honored on May 11, 2004 with the "Quality of Life" award from Morris Tomorrow presented for her vision, effort and enthusiasm. This is Morris Tomorrow's 15th Annual Awards Breakfast at which they chose three Community Leaders to honor from Morris County. Penny was featured in the Morris News Bee, the Echoes-Sentinel, the Bernardsville News and the Observer Tribune on March 11. Click here to read the full article which appeared in the Morris News Bee. 
  

Nov. 7, 2003 - 16th Annual Recycling Awards Dinner - Recycling is a Ball. Awards included: Recycled “Gingerbread” Is Delectable - Ricky Boscarino, Luna Parc, Montague; A Pocketful Of Litter - Jordan Matelsky, Roxbury Township; Energetic Enforcer - Kathleen O’Neill Margiotta, Morristown; Extra Mile For The Environment Award – Louis Troiano, Onyx Waste Services, Inc.; “On The Ball” Recycling Coordinator – Eileen Hladky, Chatham Township; Caring for Planet Earth Award – Cedar Hill Tools For Schools For Kids Committee, Montville; Excellence In Environmental Education Award – Environmental Commission, Hanover Township; “How Does Your Garden Grow?” Award – Mount Olive Middle School Environmental Club, Mount Olive Township and more. Click here to read about the dinner and the awards recipients.
  

Apr. 24, 2003 - EPA Environmental Quality Award for Special Efforts for Special Waste.  The MCMUA was presented with an Environmental Quality Award for its outstanding commitment to protecting and enhancing environmental quality through its sponsorship of its special and hazardous waste management programs.  The Environmental Quality Awards are the highest recognition presented to the public by the USEPA.  Awards recipients come from all sectors of the community, including non-profit, environmental and community groups, individual citizens, environmental education and business organizations and members of the news media.   In the photograph are Laura Macpherson, MCMUA Hazardous Waste Coordinator accepting the award from Jane M. Kenny, USEPA Region 2 Regional Administrator (photo by Robin Holland).