Senator Carson, 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 (NRCM). I appreciate this opportunity to testify in support of LD 524. NRCM is dedicated to advancing policies and Read More
food waste
Cafeteria’s Share Table Reduces Waste, Feeds Students
By Michael Kelley Keep ME Current news story WESTBROOK — In an effort to reduce the amount of trash generated at the high school cafeteria and to help keep students from being hungry throughout the day, school staff last month introduced a Share Table. “The idea is to feed the students who may need extra Read More
Making a Difference for Maine’s Environment in the Classroom and Cafeteria
Mainers can be proud of their schools for a variety of reasons. Every time I visit a new school I am impressed by the innovative ways they are preparing students for the future. Making changes in the way the students relate to food is no exception. This fall I was particularly impressed by the School Read More
Bath’s Public Composting Bins have Kept 15 Tons of Solid Waste Out of Its Landfill
by Nathan Strout, Times Record staff Times Record news story BATH — Bath’s landfill won’t be able to take the city’s waste forever. That’s one reason why Bath launched a public composting project nearly two years ago to prevent organic trash from taking up space and filling the landfill sooner. “Someday the city’s landfill is Read More
Maine Environment Fall 2018 Newsletter
Maine Environment Fall 2018: What’s Inside! In this issue of Maine Environment, we feature an important story by NRCM Climate and Clean Energy Project Director Dylan Voorhees about Central Maine Power’s proposed 145-mile transmission line through Maine, to bring power from Canada to Massachusetts. He explains NRCM’s work and our reasons for opposing this project, Read More
Maine Schools that Divert Food Waste
The number of Maine schools that are diverting food waste is growing! Some schools have signed up for a composting service, while others compost their food waste on site. Other schools send their food waste to an anaerobic digester or partner with local pig farmers. If you don’t see your school on the list we Read More
Why Develop School Food Waste Reduction Programs?
Maine K-12 schools generate an estimated seven million pounds of food waste annually (1). That is a staggering amount for our small state, and it reflects the larger, global food waste problem. At home, almost one-third of the garbage Mainers throw out is food waste and scraps. Meanwhile, one in five Maine kids may not Read More
Maine School Cafeterias Reducing Plastic Pollution and Waste
We are all familiar with the challenges of using plastic cutlery. These utensils notoriously fail at the only task they are made for: cutting and picking up food. In addition, they create a lot of single-use trash, are not recyclable, and there are reusable options. In recent years, schools have brought plastic cutlery into lunchrooms. Read More
September 29, 2018: ecomaine’s Annual Recycling Open House, Portland
The Natural Resources Council of Maine was pleased to again participate in ecomaine’s annual recycling Open House and e-waste collection event on Saturday, September 29 at their location at 62 Blueberry Road, Portland (just off Exit 46 of I-95 near the Portland International Jetport). The morning included: Tours of ecomaine’s facilities Free electronic waste (e-waste) collection Read More
