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
food waste
Lessons in Food Waste at Hall-Dale Middle School
In June, we were fortunate to be visited by members of the NRCM staff including Beth Comeau, Lisa Pohlmann, and Lily Bailey, the intern who was assigned to work with and support the Hall-Dale Middle School Environmental Club. The NRCM staff members were very enthusiastic as they asked the students to reflect on our food Read More
Hall-Dale Continues Composting Challenge
Environmental Club members have continued to work toward consistent cafeteria composting at Hall-Dale Middle School, but not without encountering challenges along the way. Our original farmer had a very busy schedule—between taking care of his animals and picking up food waste from others around town, he could not always get to us in a timely Read More
Hall-Dale Middle School Students Start Composting Program
The program is made possible through a grant from the Natural Resources Council of Maine. Through a grant from the Natural Resources Council of Maine, Hall-Dale Middle School students are starting a composting program in their school cafeteria to reduce food waste, according to a news release from the council. Middle school students in the Read More
Hall-Dale Middle School Environmental Club Food Waste Reduction Project
When the HDMS Environmental Club first met in September to discuss potential environmentally focused school projects, we decided to focus on food waste reduction in the cafeteria. First, we needed to find a local farmer to pick up food waste on a daily basis, to alleviate concerns from the Manager of Buildings and Grounds and Read More
South Portland Food Waste Pilot Program Increases Recycling
By Juliette Laaka The Forecaster news story SOUTH PORTLAND — Since its inception last May, a pilot program to collect food waste has increased recycling rates in two participating neighborhoods. About 600 households in the Knightville and Meetinghouse Hill neighborhoods received 6-gallon buckets to use for curbside compost collection. Additional bins were set up at Read More
Taking a Bite Out of Food Waste
Tackling climate change, food insecurity, and economic waste one meal at a time Licia Goodridge knows just how expensive food waste is. Since food is mostly water, which weighs eight pounds per gallon, and hauling contracts are based on weight, she knew her school district was wasting money transporting something to the dump that could Read More
Maine Environment Fall 2017 Newsletter
Maine Environment Fall 2017: What’s Inside! School lunch programs are contributing enormously to food waste and the problems associated with it, included climate change. NRCM is tackling the school food waste problem in a growing number of districts around Maine. You can read about it in the article, “Taking a Bite Out of Food Waste,” written Read More
Food Waste a No Go in Sebago
Sebago Elementary School principal, Kirsten Goff, received an email in August that intrigued her. NRCM’s “Food Guy,” Ryan Parker, had reached out to the principals of Maine’s K-12 schools with some information about reducing food waste in Maine’s public education system. Principal Goff immediately contacted Ted Bridge-Koenigsberg, who teaches science and language arts at the Read More
