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Eco-Friendly Parking at Stockton College

Stockton’s forthcoming “green” parking lot will be the largest of its kind in the state

By Ray Schweibert
Add Comment Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Sep. 3, 2010

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An ACUA “Scarab” machine turns over mulch that will eventually become the EcoSoil used to make the parking lot.

Recently the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey began converting an athletic practice field into a parking lot.

Big deal you may say? Well it is, as the new 1.86-acre lot will be the biggest “eco-friendly” parking lot of its kind in the entire state of New Jersey.

In keeping with the college’s ongoing commitment to recycling and innovation in green technology, it opted to use a parking lot surface made of porous, recycled polyethylene rather than asphalt. The durable, resilient grids lock together to form a surface that supports cars and light trucks.

According to a release from the school, this advanced technology “appeals to organizations interested in sustainability and the aesthetic appeal of their property, as well as to organizations in need of overflow parking that won’t consistently receive heavy use.”

The two-inch thick grids are made of a mixture of topsoil and “EcoSoil” — a composition made at the Atlantic County Utilities Authority that is a 100 percent natural composted blend of yard waste collected from towns throughout Atlantic County. Rainfall will soak through the parking lot into the ground without the need for storm drains, and grass will grow in the soil-packed grid. When finished, it will provide space for 205 cars.

“It’s very strong, it’s resilient, and it comes in sections that are snapped together like a Lego project,” says Alice Gitchell, energy and sustainability project manager at Stockton College. “Eventually this will look like a grassy field. It’s something that can be done quickly and, if necessary, can be removed.”

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