Evian, L’Oréal, Mars, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Walmart and others commit to using only reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging by 2025. by Danica Kirka, Associated Press Portland Press Herald news story LONDON — Once a month, accountant Michael Byrne pulls on his rubber boots and makes his way to a spot on the banks of the River Read More
consumer products
NRCM Testimony on LD 349, LD 375, and LD 385, Bills to Establish Product Stewardship Programs for Mattresses, Carpets, and Rechargeable Batteries
Senator Saviello, Representative Tucker, and members of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee. My name is Pete Didisheim, I am the Advocacy Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine, and I appreciate this opportunity to testify on the three bills before the Committee that would create product stewardship programs for carpets (LD 375), mattresses Read More
Toxin Ruling Should Put Maine Kids’ Interests First
Mandating disclosure of phthalates would help consumers make safer choices for their families. Portland Press Herald editorial In about two weeks, Maine environmental regulators will have to decide whether they’ll require manufacturers to disclose which of their products contain phthalates: chemicals linked to serious health problems in kids that are in everything from lunch boxes and Read More
Draft Rule to Protect Mainers from Phthalates Weakened by State DEP
The regulation now would apply only to products targeted to kids under 12 and not to pregnant women, sparking an outcry from advocates of chemical safeguards. By Colin Woodard, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story Gov. Paul LePage’s administration has endorsed a substantially weakened draft of a rule requiring manufacturers to reveal which products Read More
The Best Mother’s Day Present: No BPA in Food Packaging, Healthy Children
Robin Barstow Bangor Daily News op-ed Mothers are diverse. There are all kinds of us. We’re tall, we’re short, we’re in between. We’re black, we’re white, we’re brown. We’re funny, we’re serious, we’re sometimes both. We’re rich, we’re poor, we’re in the middle. Some of us love to do the dishes, some of us hate Read More
Earth Day 2012: New Coalition to Bring Recycling into the 21st Century
Groups seek to make manufacturers responsible for collecting and recycling products CRADLE² News Release TODAY, Forty-two years after the recycling movement began on the first Earth Day, a new coalition has been launched to “bring recycling into the 21st century” by working for policies that make manufacturers responsible for collecting and recycling their products and Read More
Speaking Out to Protect Children’s Health
I just came back from a press event where I got to speak alongside physicians, small business owners, public health advocates, concerned parents and their children, and legislators in support of Maine’s chemical safety laws. We worked with our friends in the Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine to hold the event to celebrate and Read More
Maine BEP Adopts Toxic BPA Rule
Board of Environmental Protection Votes to Replace BPA in Baby Bottles and Sippy Cups Statement of Matt Prindiville, Natural Resources Council of Maine Today, the Maine Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) took a significant step forward to protect Maine families from the toxic chemical bisphenol-A (BPA). Today BEP voted to 1) designate BPA as a Read More
Protecting Kids from Toxic Chemicals in Consumer Products
Our nation’s chemical safety policy is seriously broken. The law currently allows chemical manufacturers to use their products in consumer goods without first demonstrating that these chemicals are safe. The toxins can leach out and have been found in Maine homes, air, water, wildlife—and people. These chemicals have been tied to hormonal disruptions, behavioral and Read More
