by Edgar Allen Beem The Forecaster column When I drove into the drug store parking lot the other day I found myself parked in a litter of little plastic liquor bottles. I mentioned this to an employee who told me they had someone who picked up the empty “nips” once or twice a day, but Read More
Recycling and Product Stewardship
Maine has long championed Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) or "product stewardship" laws because they have proven effective at saving taxpayers money, reducing waste, and protecting our environment. Traditional recycling programs are run and funded by municipal governments. EPR programs shift the costs of dealing with difficult and dangerous items to the corporations and manufacturers who make and sell their products in Maine.
Support of LD 931, An Act To Create EPR for Post-consumer Waste Generated from the Use of Tobacco Products
Senator Saviello, Representative Tucker, and members of the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, my name is Ryan Parker and I am the Environmental Policy Outreach Coordinator for the Natural Resources Council of Maine. I appreciate this opportunity to testify in support of LD 931 with the amended language introduced by Representative Blume. Read More
Beverage Industry Backs Bill to Eliminate 5-cent Deposit on Large Bottles
But at a hearing in Augusta, opponents say removing larger containers from Maine’s bottle bill will only place additional financial burdens on municipal recycling programs. by Kevin Miller, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story AUGUSTA — The beverage industry is lobbying to eliminate the 5-cent deposit on larger containers, but critics contend the proposal Read More
Opposition to LD 683, An Act to Fund the Maine Solid Waste Diversion Grant Program and To Phase Out Certain Containers from the Bottle Redemption Laws
Senator Saviello, Representative Tucker, and members of the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, my name is Pete Didisheim, I am the Advocacy Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine. I appreciate this opportunity to testify in opposition to LD 683, An Act to Fund the Maine Solid Waste Diversion Grant Program Read More
NRCM Testimony on LD 349, LD 375, and LD 385, Bills to Establish Product Stewardship Programs for Mattresses, Carpets, and Rechargeable Batteries
Senator Saviello, Representative Tucker, and members of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee. My name is Pete Didisheim, I am the Advocacy Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine, and I appreciate this opportunity to testify on the three bills before the Committee that would create product stewardship programs for carpets (LD 375), mattresses Read More
Bill to Apply 15-cent Deposit to Mini Liquor Bottles Advances
Supporters say the number of ‘nips’ showing up in roadside ditches or tossed on front lawns is increasing with the popularity of the 50-milliliter bottles. By Kevin Miller, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story AUGUSTA — Miniature liquor bottles would be subject to Maine’s 15-cent bottle deposit next year under a bill endorsed by Read More
Support of LD 56, An Act to Include 50 Milliliter and Smaller Liquor Bottles in the Laws Governing Returnable Containers
Senator Saviello, Representative Tucker, and members of the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, my name is Ryan Parker and I am the Environmental Policy Outreach Coordinator for the Natural Resources Council of Maine. I appreciate this opportunity to testify in support of LD 56. Maine’s Bottle Redemption Program, often described as “the Read More
Girl Scouts, NRCM Team Up to Promote New Way to Safely Recycle Paint in Maine
Unveil new “Sustainable ME” Girl Scout Patch News Release Today, the Girl Scouts of Maine and the Natural Resources Council of Maine announced and unveiled a new program— the first ever “Sustainable Maine” patch—to be earned by Girl Scouts who take personal actions toward a more sustainable future. This year’s goal is for Girl Scouts Read More
Reuse—Recycle— Remember
My dad, Clarence E. Gray, lived in Maine from the time he was a teenager and had to drop out of school and go to work in the Westbrook paper mill to help support his family. Later he was drafted into WWII, and before shipping out, worked in the shipyard in South Portland. He had Read More
