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
Maine Bottle Bill
Maine’s Returnable Beverage Container Law, commonly referred to as “the Bottle Bill,” is the most successful waste and litter reduction law in our state’s history. With the help of NRCM in 1976, Maine became the third US state to enact a beverage container deposit program—after Oregon and Vermont. This smart policy went into effect in 1978 and successfully eliminated problematic roadside beverage container litter and resulted in Maine residents recycling an estimated 90 percent of the bottles and cans sold in the state.
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
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
Holiday Guide: Green Tips, Great Gifts that Support NRCM
Here come the holidays, and all I want for Christmas is…less waste and more sustainability. OK, that’s not all I want, but it’s definitely part of my holiday planning. You can probably easily imagine that the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is the most wasteful, but did you know Americans produce a million Read More
Maine’s Advanced Recycling Programs Succeeding
Keeping Mercury and Other Toxics Out of Environment NRCM news release Today, DEP officials presented a report to the Legislature’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee showing that Maine’s five advanced recycling “product stewardship” laws are a huge success and have prevented more than 45 million pounds of electronic waste and hundred of pounds of toxic Read More
Opposition to LD 1324, An Act to Create Consistency and Fairness in Maine’s Bottle Bill and LD 1417, An Act To Exempt Wine Bottles from Maine’s Container Redemption System
Senator Saviello, Representative Hamper and members of the Committee. My name is Matt Prindiville, and I’m the Clean Production Project Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM). I’m also here representing the Container Recycling Institute, a national nonprofit organization that studies and promotes policies that increase recycling of beverage containers and packaging. NRCM Read More
New Poll Shows Mainers Support Environment
Statement by NRCM Executive Director Lisa Pohlmann The message from the poll that we are releasing today is absolutely clear: Maine’s clean air, clean water, and natural heritage is a high priority. The poll also demonstrates that Mainers decisively reject the notion that our environmental laws are causing a significant drag on our economy. They Read More
