By Bonnie Washuk, Staff Writer Sun Journal news story LEWISTON — From an environmental standpoint, canned beer is better than bottled. “Beer cans are twice as likely as beer bottles to be recycled,” said Luke Livingston, 33, founder and owner of Baxter Brewing in Lewiston. Environmentalists agree that cans are recycled more than bottles. Worldwide, 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.
NRCM: A Leader in Protecting Water Quality in Maine
NRCM has been involved in protecting Maine’s outstanding water resources since we were established in 1959. Our first big campaign was focused on protecting the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. We have worked to clean up our rivers and reduce pollution to our waters ever since. Almost everything NRCM does is beneficial to our lakes, rivers, streams, Read More
Bottle Bill Would Lower Deposit for Wine, Spirits
By Christopher Williams Sun Journal news story Advocates of a proposal that would lower the deposit on wine and liquor bottles by 10 cents say the measure would equalize returnables and simplify the process. State Rep. Ellie Espling, R-New Gloucester, the bill’s sponsor, wrote in a statement that she seeks “to implement a uniform refund Read More
2018 Legislative Priorities for Maine’s Environment
The 2018 legislative session is well underway. This is the “short session” of the Legislature, which means the pace is fast as lawmakers attempt to adjourn by the end of April. It is also an election year for every House and Senate seat, and it is Governor Paul LePage’s final year in office, adding an Read More
Maine Should Leave the Bottle Bill Alone
Bangor Daily News editorial Maine’s bottle redemption program turns 40 this year, marking four decades of rewarding responsible consumers with small, 5- or 15-cent refunds when they redeem the beverage containers they’ve accrued over time. It is one of the most comprehensive and successful of such programs in the country. Maine consumers recycle more beverage Read More
Opposition to LD 1703, An Act to Create Equity for Wine and Spirit Container Deposits
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
Meet Dwight Gagnon: NRCM Member and Artist of This Year’s Common Ground Country Fair Poster
One of the favorite parts of my job is attending events hosted by the Natural Resources Council of Maine or other events in which NRCM participates, like our annual table at the Common Ground Country Fair in Unity, coming up in September. I get to meet members and supporters in a variety of settings to Read More
Gov. LePage Forges Ahead with Bid to Stop Lucrative Sales of “Nips” Liquor Bottles
They contribute to drinking and driving, he says, but they also produce millions in state revenue annually and support jobs at a Lewiston distillery. By Kevin Miller, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story HALLOWELL — The LePage administration is asking Maine’s liquor commission to end sales of miniature “nips” bottles, a move that could Read More
LePage Uncorks Plan to End Sale of Nips in Maine
By Christopher Cousins, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story AUGUSTA, Maine — The state’s Liquor and Lottery Commission will consider ending the sale of 50-milliliter liquor bottles in Maine following a promise by Gov. Paul LePage to do so if the Legislature enacted a bill that adds the containers to Maine’s bottle redemption program. Read More
