by Nathan Strout Times Record news story After months of work, the Bath Solid Waste Advisory Committee is preparing to present an ordinance banning single-use plastic bags and polystyrene containers, while also putting fees on paper bags. “The Solid Waste Advisory Committee has been meeting since last January or February, so for several months, examining Read More
foam ordinances
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
Belfast Becomes Latest City to Ban Plastic Bags, Polystyrene
By Nick McCrea, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story BELFAST, Maine — Paper or canvas? Shoppers in Belfast will need to remember to bring their own bags from home, or get used to paper, because plastic is on the way out. Belfast city councilors approved a citywide ban on single-use plastic shopping bags and 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
Your Takeout Order Could be Harming the Environment. Bangor is Considering a Way to Fix It
By Danielle McLean, Staff Writer Bangor Daily News news story In an effort to reduce the volume of plastic littering, Bangor city councilors are mulling a proposed law banning local merchants from selling food and drinks in Styrofoam cups or containers. If passed, Bangor would join Portland, South Portland and Brunswick in banning polystyrene, the Read More
A Great Sustainability Effort Dawns in the Maine Town the Sun Touches First
Lubec, Maine, is an incredibly picturesque little town at the far eastern edge of Maine. Nestled at the end of Maine’s rugged, bold coastline, Lubec features many opportunities to engage locals and draw visitors. The quaint downtown contains a few dozen shops lining the main street, which leads to the foot of the bridge reaching Read More
Petitions Circulate in Topsham for Bag Fee, Foam Container Ban
by Alex Lear, Staff Writer Sun Journal news story TOPSHAM — Petitions are circulating in town to require November referendums on ordinances that would impose a 5-cent fee on single-use shopping bags and ban polystyrene foam containers. The Bring Your Own Bag Midcoast group has raised both issues in Brunswick and Topsham. The group advocates a Read More
Portland is “Connected By Nature”
The City of Portland is developing a well-deserved reputation as one of the most sustainable cities in the nation. This reputation hasn’t happened overnight, or without the help of many of the citizens, businesses, and progressive thinkers in and around Maine’s largest city. A few months ago, the Natural Resources Council of Maine released an Read More
Next Generation Takes Action to Help Ban Single-use Foam Containers in Brunswick
Last year as a junior in high school I took an environmental science course where I was asked to assess an environmental issue of importance to my town. I chose to look at plastics bags and the impact a five-cent fee would have on the residents and businesses in Brunswick. As part of my research Read More
