Senator Saviello, Representative Tucker, and members of the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, my name is Sarah Lakeman and I am the Sustainable Maine Project Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine. I appreciate this opportunity to testify in opposition to LD 1703. NRCM has had a long history working to Read More
sustainability
Lawmaker to Propose Bill Reducing All Liquor Bottle Deposits from 15 to 5 Cents
by Mal Leary Maine Public news story Advocates of Maine’s 40-year-old bottle deposit law are concerned about a proposal to lower the deposit on liquor bottles from 15 cents down to five cents. The lawmaker behind the bill says she’s simply trying to make the state law more consistent and fair. Earlier this year the Read More
Steamrolling Forward: Multiple Maine Towns Take Steps to Reduce Plastic Pollution
You may not have noticed amid all the hubbub around national issues and politics, but some other pretty important votes took place in Maine on, or near, this past Election Day. Multiple towns took important steps to help create more sustainable communities through the elimination or reduction of plastic pollution. And that is good news! Read More
Taking a Bite Out of Food Waste
Tackling climate change, food insecurity, and economic waste one meal at a time Licia Goodridge knows just how expensive food waste is. Since food is mostly water, which weighs eight pounds per gallon, and hauling contracts are based on weight, she knew her school district was wasting money transporting something to the dump that could Read More
You Make a Difference for Maine’s Environment
Donate Now! At the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM), we don’t give up. Our 63-year history shows just how determined we are to ensure clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and protected habitats in our forests, rivers, and along our coastlines. You are an essential partner in this work to protect Maine’s Read More
Food Waste a No Go in Sebago
Sebago Elementary School principal, Kirsten Goff, received an email in August that intrigued her. NRCM’s “Food Guy,” Ryan Parker, had reached out to the principals of Maine’s K-12 schools with some information about reducing food waste in Maine’s public education system. Principal Goff immediately contacted Ted Bridge-Koenigsberg, who teaches science and language arts at the Read More
Maine at the Cutting Edge of Compost Technology
By Abigail Curtis, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story Most people don’t spend a lot of time thinking about what happens to waste once it’s been thrown out or flushed away. But Mark King and the other members of the Maine Compost Team are not like most people. King, an environmental specialist with the Read More
Cat Litter Quandary
As an environmentalist, I am constantly questioning the environmental impact of my everyday actions. Sometimes this leads to change, and sometimes it leads to more questions. My most recent dilemma was how to reduce the amount of trash I create. I used to track my trash generation when a Pay As You Throw (PAYT) policy Read More
Unity College Awarded for Taking a Bite Out of Food Waste!
Unity College was recently recognized by the National Association of College and University Food Services for its commitment to sustainability! That’s good news, not only for the college but for other educational institutions throughout Maine. Unity’s efforts include initiatives that look at every level of the Food Recovery Hierarchy as a tool in the toolbox Read More
