Get involved with Greening the Gateway Cities.
Prevent stormwater pollution from your home
Learn how to fertilize your lawn while keeping our water clean
Green Infrastructure
New Bedford uses green infrastructure to reduce urban flooding, mitigate extreme heat, improve neighborhood livability, and deliver environmental justice.
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Promote Green Infrastructure
Join in the City's efforts by implementing your own green infrastructure practices at home.
Natural Resources
New Bedford’s natural environment is clean, healthy, accessible to residents and enhances the City’s resilience.
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Join the Movement to Protect our Natural Resources
Protecting our natural resources is a full community effort. Here are some ideas of steps everyone can take to help.
Think Blue Massachusetts has guides and tips for how residents can help keep our waterways clean.
Save money, collect rainwater and protect our natural resources!
Become a Horticultural Volunteer at Buttonwood Park Zoo
Public Health & Safety
New Bedford’s natural environment is clean, healthy, accessible to residents and enhances the community’s quality of life. Learn MoreActions You Can Take
Be Prepared, Stay Healthy
The City is working hard to keep its residents safe and healthy! Here are some things you can do.
Create an emergency preparedness kit
Get active by opting for a bike
Buy fresh, local, affordable food
Stay up to date on COVID-19 resources from the City like vaccine clinics and testing sites.
Port Resilience
All future development around the Port and a Marine Business Toolkit is guided by the Resilient Design Guidelines to keep our existing economy thriving through change.
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Prepare your household or business!
For businesses and homeowners alike, preparing for challenges posed by sea level rise and storm surge can protect your property and your bottom line.
A Continuity and Recovery Plan will help your business bounce back from a disaster.
An Emergency Kit will prepare you for a flooding event or any other kind of disaster.
Commercial boaters and fishermen – please manage your bilge water properly!
Climate & Energy
New Bedford is an international model of how the City, residents, and businesses all actively play a role in reducing our contribution to climate change by lowering our greenhouse gas emissions and greening our energy supply.Learn MoreActions You Can Take
Become More Resilient
Here's how you can save energy and money and help New Bedford become more resilient.
Get a free energy audit
Learn about solar opportunities for your home or business
Learn more about our Community Electricity Aggregation Program
Learn about Air Source Heat Pumps for your home or business - save money and energy!
Get Involved with high efficiency design and construction
Economy & Jobs
New Bedford boasts a diverse economy that maximizes wages and sustainable employment for all, attracts and retains emerging professionals, rewards a strong work ethic, and is prepared for the challenges and opportunities brought by a changing climate.Learn MoreActions You Can Take
Seize Economic Opportunties
Many resources exist for individuals hoping to join the wave of new opportunities that will come with developing new industries like offshore wind. Whether working directly in clean energy or the businesses that will grow up around them, several workforce initiatives are underway. For those with bigger ideas, community partners such as the New Bedford Economic Development Council are ready to help bring your vision to life.
Mass Clean Energy Center
Greater New Bedford Workforce Development Board
New Bedford Economic Development Council
New Bedford Municipal Career Opportunities
Infrastructure, Utilities, & Waste
New Bedford's critical infrastructure, utilities, and waste disposal services are up to date and integrate best practices that prepare us for the impacts of climate change and our growing economy and population.
Learn MoreTotal Waste Reduction
Help Reduce Waste in New Bedford
There are many ways you can help New Bedford reach its waste reduction goals. New Bedford's Department of Facilities and Fleet Management's Solid Waste and Recycling Division offer a wealth of information about minimizing waste and send alerts for special events like hazardous waste drop off days.
Keeping New Bedford's recycling free of contaminants ensures that the material can be remade into new products.
Follow New Bedford Recycling
Learn more about what materials are recycleable
As of November 2022, clothing and textiles can no longer be put in the trash.
Actions You Can Take
A Softer Solution
While the City of New Bedford excels at creating the engineered systems needed to keep the City running, the need and expense for those systems can be reduced by using trees and other green infrastructure to absorb stormwater and restore natural flows to the watershed. As a bonus, the shade given by trees will help keep the city cool as summer temperatures increase.
Get involved with Greening the Gateway Cities
Install a efficient showerhead to save gallons each shower
Leave a legacy by donating to the New Bedford Preservation Society Re-Leaf program
Learn how to recycle and dispose of waste properly
See tips and get discounted bins for composting food scraps at home
Learn about the City’s Food Waste Drop-off Program
As of November 2022, clothing and textiles can no longer be put in the trash
Transportation & Land Use
New Bedford’s historic character is preserved while updating the transportation & land use network to reflect the needs for equitable accessibility to multiple modes of transportation, affordable housing, and active living spaces that foster community cohesion.
Learn MoreActions You Can Take
Reduce Your Impact
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is something everyone can do! Here are some ideas.
