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
Spotlight on Sustainability in Maine
Every day, Maine people and communities embrace better, more sustainable ways to inhabit our great state. Spotlight on Sustainability in Maine is devoted to gathering and sharing information about the people, places, and initiatives making a positive difference for Maine's environment. From fresh local foods to clean solar energy to turning trash into treasure, there are many ways to say “sustainable” in Maine.
Do you have information about a great project helping to make Maine a more sustainable place to call home that you would like featured on NRCM’s blog? Guest posts are always welcome! If it is good news for our environment and involves Maine or Mainers, it belongs in the spotlight. Please contact Sarah Nichols, NRCM Sustainable Maine Director at snichols@nrcm.org.
Good News for Belfast, Bad News for Bags!
Belfast just became the tenth Maine town to adopt an ordinance to reduce the use of single-use plastic bags! On August 15, the Belfast City Council passed the ordinance, which bans single-use plastic bags. And, while they were at it, councilors also voted to ban foam food packaging, adding Belfast to the growing list of Read More
King Middle School Students Create and Lead Community Clean-up!
More than 30 people from the King Middle School community and beyond came together to fight marine debris at East End Beach in Portland. Together, we picked up nearly 8,000 pieces of litter, most of it in one afternoon on June 4. The project was all a part of a challenge we participated in sponsored Read More
They Might Be Old, But They’re Still Cold! Learn about Re-Fridge.
Mitch Newlin, a senior at Bates College in Lewiston, has created a novel business, Re-Fridge, based on efforts to prevent a wasteful practice he noticed as an underclassman. After his first year at Bates, Newlin was astonished to see that at the end of each year, college campuses are rife with piles of items students Read More
Saco Bans Single-use Plastic Bags!
Earlier this spring, Saco became the ninth Maine town to enact an ordinance to ban single-use plastic bags. Saco’s ordinance will apply to all businesses in the town and follows on the heels of the city’s efforts to curb the use of single-use foam containers. Several Maine towns, including Saco, have now banned the use Read More
Brunswick Bans Bags!
A year, almost to the day, after Brunswick banned single-use foam containers, the Town Council voted overwhelmingly to further protect Maine’s environment by adopting an ordinance banning single-use plastic bags. The new ordinance, which was adopted by the Town Council in March after lengthy discussions and multiple opportunities for public input, will go into effect Read More
Presque Isle Community Garden Off to a Great Start!
Community gardens are one of the best ways to bring people together around common goals while taking real steps toward a more sustainable future. That’s certainly been the case in Presque Isle during the second year of the Presque Isle Community Garden. The Presque Isle Community Garden, focused on offering sustainable vegetable gardening and habitat for 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
Freeport Says No to Plastic Bags, Yes to a More Sustainable Maine!
Two years ago, two young women who had recently graduated from Freeport High School appeared before the Town Council to ask for an ordinance to ban single-use, disposable plastic bags. These two young leaders had conducted a senior project involving research about the environmental impacts these plastic bags have, particularly regarding Maine’s marine environment. Through Read More
