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 988, which would help Maine’s waste policy better Read More
materials management
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
As Demand for Recycled Material Shrinks, Consumers Can Take Action
Steps include reducing waste, learning what is accepted locally and redeeming beverage containers. by Sarah Lakeman, Special to the Press Herald Portland Press Herald op-ed AUGUSTA — Global recycling markets are changing, and cities and towns across Maine are responding – some by abandoning their recycling programs. This is a big wake-up call that will 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
Gathering Leftover Crops to Feed Poor, Known as Gleaning, is Catching On
It would be great if more gardeners and volunteers joined in to deliver surplus produce to our neighbors. by Laura McCandlish, of Brunswick who formerly wrote “The Farm-to-Table Family” column for the Maine Sunday Telegram’s Source section Portland Press Herald op-ed As I ripped out spent Sun Gold vines and planted garlic at my Tom Settlemire Read More
In a First for Maine, Scarborough and South Portland Will Start Collecting Food Waste
Pilot programs will test an idea that officials say is the next big phase for municipal recycling because it involves almost 28 percent of household trash in the state. By Peter McGuire, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story South Portland and Scarborough are getting ready to launch Maine’s first municipal food waste collection programs. Read More
Winslow Considers Pilot Programs for Food Waste Recycling
The goals are to increase diversion rates and save money. By Madeline St. Amour Central Maine newspapers news story WINSLOW — A committee tasked with finding innovative ways to handle the town’s waste is piloting a recycling program that could increase diversion rates and save money. The program would recycle food waste, bringing it to the Read More
Feeding the 5,000 in Portland, Maine
We attended Portland, Maine’s ‘Feeding the 5,000’ Festival on Oct. 7 by George Semler The Daily Meal news story On Friday, October 7th, Portland, Maine became the 41st global city to reenact the biblical miracle of the loaves, feeding a 100-percent gleaned vegan vegetable stew to just under 5,000 people in and around Monument Square Read More
