South Portland has set an ambitious goal to ensure that city events are zero-waste occasions. The first test of this new enterprise was the Fourth of July celebration at Bug Light Park. According to Julie Rosenbach, South Portland’s Sustainability Coordinator the City was able to divert an astounding 73 percent of the event’s waste stream Read More
composting
Composting Heats Up in Maine
Cities and towns start to realize the value of turning food waste into black gold, and companies vie for the business. By Mary Pols, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story AUBURN — Inside the steaming rows of piled-up compost at the We Compost It! operation in Auburn is your standard smorgasbord of commercial and Read More
A Bold New Initiative in South Portland
South Portland is serious about sustainability. This year the city hired its first Sustainability Coordinator, and in her first year on the job Julie Rosenbach has set some ambitious goals for the city. Earlier this year South Portland announced a new goal — zero waste at all city events. This new benchmark is part of Read More
Compost: Good for More Than Just Your Garden!
A growing awareness of the benefits of composting is paying dividends beyond those found in the healthy produce and beautiful flowers compost can help create. Students at Saco Middle School (and many other schools around Maine), through hands-on learning, are discovering the multiple benefits of composting. In addition to the obvious benefits you can taste, Read More
Celebrating Portland’s Community Gardens
Community gardens foster community pride while also growing healthy, local food, some of which is often donated to food banks or other charities. Those who have a garden are able to learn lessons in both gardening skills and environmental stewardship. In addition to the personal benefits of having a garden plot, these gardens will help Read More
How Maine Towns are Trying to Throw Away Less and Save More
By Christopher Burns, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story Maine residents and businesses produced 2.5 million tons of waste in 2013, working out to 2.8 pounds of garbage per person each day. While that’s less garbage per person than the national average (4.4 pounds), getting rid of all that waste is expensive. It’s consistently Read More
Support of Resolve, To Increase Recycling in Maine through Increased Composting and Energy Recovery from Organic Wastes (LD 659); and An Act To Increase Organic Waste Recycling in the State (712)
Senator Saviello, Representative Welsh, 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 support of LD 659 and LD 712. As many of you know, Read More
Mid Coast Hospital Adds Compost to Environmentally Friendly Practices
Boosting its environmentally friendly practices at the start of this month, Mid Coast Hospital began a composting program that reduces the amount of garbage disposed of into the waste stream, while supplying nutrient rich soil for gardening and landscaping. “As part of our commitment to the health and well being of the community, we strive Read More
