Every day, our team of 16 employees works to keep unwanted electronics out of Maine’s landfills. Our work is important because while electronic waste (computers, televisions, printers, cell phones, etc.) comprises just 2-4% of landfill waste, it accounts for 90% of the harmful chemicals and heavy metals that end up in the ground, the air Read More
sustainability
Going Plastic-free: My Family’s Month-long Challenge
I started my new job with Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) in early March 2022. At the time, my wife and I, spurred on by the growing concerns of plastics in the environment, had been thinking about ways to further reduce plastics in our waste stream. We had long since adopted strategies such as Read More
News & Noteworthy — April – June 2022
Read some highlights from June 2022 news stories and opinion pieces related to the environment, including Maine’s air, land, water, and wildlife, in this News & Noteworthy from the Natural Resources Council of Maine. June 2022 We are going to cover the news from the past two weeks in this week’s News & Noteworthy. We Read More
Maine Closes the Out-of-State Waste Loophole
In 2022, NRCM worked with our allies from Community Action Works, the Maine Environmental Priorities Coalition, and Don’t Waste ME, an alliance of impacted community residents and tribal citizens to pass LD 1639. Together, we succeeded in closing a loophole that allowed toxic out-of-state waste to be disposed of in Maine’s State-owned landfill located in Read More
News & Noteworthy — January – March 2022
Read some highlights from news stories and opinion pieces related to the environment, including Maine’s air, land, water, and wildlife: March 2022 Let’s start with some great news about a few of the bills that NRCM has been involved with this legislative session: Tuesday, Governor Mills signed into law LD 736, a bill to expand Read More
Debunking Claims Made by Companies Profiting Off Maine’s Out-of-state Waste Loophole
This legislative session, a bill (LD 1639) that would close Maine’s out-of-state waste loophole is gaining momentum. You see, Maine’s State-owned Juniper Ridge Landfill (JRL) was never supposed to accept out-of-state waste, and there is no good reason why it should. The State purchased the landfill to provide disposal capacity for Mainers’ waste, not the Read More
Bill to Close Out-of-state Waste Loophole Approved by Legislative Committee
News release by Don’t Waste ME, Community Action Works, and the Natural Resources Council of Maine February 7, 2022 (Augusta, ME) – A bill to stop filling Maine’s landfills with out-of-state waste received a key endorsement today when a bipartisan majority of the Legislature’s Environment & Natural Resources Committee voted 11-2* in favor. LD 1639 Read More
Tips for Reducing Waste this Holiday Season
The holidays are a time full of tradition, nostalgia, friends, and family….and unfortunately a lot of waste. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can find ways to lower your impact and even support our environment by creating new traditions. Here are some dos and don’ts for an environmentally friendly holiday season. DO: Read More
Nature Links Students Raise Awareness of Plastic Pollution
When it comes to plastic pollution, people often want to do more than just learn—they want to stop it. That is exactly what happened at Nature Links for Lifelong Learning, a nonprofit adult education center in Blue Hill, Maine. The Natural Resources Council of Maine is always working to engage Mainers in environmental activism. We often Read More
