News release (September 16, 2020) — A group of Maine residents and the Penobscot Nation will call on the Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) at their September 17th meeting to support a citizen’s petition that will ban out-of-state waste from being disposed in State-owned landfills and enact greater environmental justice protections for those communities directly Read More
recycling
Why You Should Care about Landfills
There’s a hidden climate villain in Maine that you might not know about, and it’s where about 75% of our total waste goes. According to the U.S. EPA, landfills are the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the United States.[1] Pound for pound, methane has about 30 times more atmospheric heat-trapping capability than carbon Read More
Participate in Plastic-free July to Help Curb Plastic Pollution
Plastic is polluting our environment, killing birds and sea creatures, and contributing to our climate crisis. But, did you know that reducing plastic is something you can do to support public health, the local economy, and human rights, too? We need to work together to turn off the tidal wave of single-use plastic waste. Plastic-free Read More
Four Ways to Improve Our Worsening Waste and Recycling Crisis
Even eternally optimistic people struggle to remain positive sometimes. I know because I am one of them. And as someone who has thought about recycling and waste policy daily for the past decade, my positivity has never had a greater test than in 2020. Most people understand that reducing waste and recycling is an environmentally Read More
50 Ideas to Celebrate 50 Years of Earth Day
These are challenging times and it’s important to celebrate when we can, even if we cannot do so in person. For example, April 22 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. That’s something to celebrate, for sure! The Natural Resources Council of Maine had been in the process of creating events with our members and Read More
In Support of LD 2104, An Act to Support and Increase the Recycling of Packaging
Senator Carson, Representative Tucker, and members of the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, my name is Sarah Nichols and I am the Sustainable Maine Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM). I appreciate this opportunity to speak in strong support of LD 2104. I have provided a folder attached to Read More
Bill Would Help Save Maine’s Struggling Recycling Programs
NRCM news release Augusta, ME (February 25, 2020) – A bill being heard by lawmakers on Wednesday will help save taxpayers money and improve Maine’s struggling recycling programs by asking large corporations to share in responsibility for managing the flood of wasteful packaging entering the state. LD 2104 would apply a proven solution called Extended Read More
In Support of LD 1933, An Act To Promote Bulk Retail Purchasing
Senator Herbig, Representative Daughtry, and members of the Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business, my name is Sarah Nichols and I am the Sustainable Maine Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM). I’m testifying in support of LD 1933. NRCM has been a leading advocate of policies that support Read More
Maine Environment Fall 2019 Newsletter
Maine Environment Fall 2019: What’s Inside! In this issue of Maine Environment, we feature an important story by NRCM Sustainable Maine Director Sarah Nichols about the fundamental problems Maine is facing in regard to recycling materials, and how we can fix it through an extended producer responsibility for packaging policy reform. Sarah talks about a new Read More
