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
recycling
Downsizing Maine’s Bottle Redemption Program Would Be a Recycling Disaster
By The BDN Editorial Board Bangor Daily News editorial Two years ago, Maine lawmakers were asked to scale back the state’s nearly four-decade-old beverage bottle redemption program. Wisely, they chose not to. This year in the Maine Legislature, lawmakers face the same choice. LD 683 proposes to remove containers 46 ounces and larger from the 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
RSU 16 Takes a Stand to Cut Food Waste and Costs
RSU 16, comprised of schools in Mechanic Falls, Minot and Poland, which recently made news for pushing back against a waste handling company trying to bill the schools for dumpster removal, is pushing ahead with their efforts to implement recycling and composting programs. RSU 16 schools are working to reduce waste and save money. As Read More
Connecting Students to the Food They Eat…or Waste
Exciting things are happening at a rural school district in the heart of Central Maine. RSU 19, a geographically dispersed, rural school district between Waterville and Bangor, is comprised of eight towns: Corinna, Dixmont, Etna, Hartland, Newport, Palmyra, Plymouth, and St. Albans. These communities are among some of the hardest hit by continued cuts to Read More
