Mitch Newlin, a senior at Bates College in Lewiston, has created a novel business, Re-Fridge, based on efforts to prevent a wasteful practice he noticed as an underclassman. After his first year at Bates, Newlin was astonished to see that at the end of each year, college campuses are rife with piles of items students Read More
solid waste
In Key Advance, Food Waste Recycling-to-Energy Program Begins in Portland Area
By Peter McGuire, news writer Portland Press Herald news story A food waste recycling program launched Wednesday in Portland hopes to trigger the next big advance in southern Maine’s municipal trash business: collection of household kitchen scraps and other organic waste. Kitchen scraps, expired produce and other food waste make up close to 30 percent Read More
Ecomaine Launches Food Waste Recovery Service
By Patty Wight MPBN news story Open up a refrigerator and the chances of finding limp lettuce or soggy squash are pretty high. Here in the U.S., it’s likely that this food will find its way into the garbage — according to the USDA, at least 30 percent of the nation’s food supply is wasted. Read More
Why Support Pay As You Throw
It makes sense. We produce too much trash in Maine. Not only should communities provide a convenient way for people to reduce, reuse, recycle and compost, but they should also create an incentive for people to do so by charging a fee for each bag of household trash. Charging a fee for each bag of Read More
Think Twice Before Choosing a Trash Option with All the Wrong Incentives
By Kathryn King, Special to the BDN Bangor Daily News op-ed Nobody likes to talk about our trash, whether at the municipal or state level. Let’s face it: Trash isn’t what most people would consider dinner table conversation. But maybe it should be, because organic waste, including food scraps, makes up a huge portion of Read More
Maine Lawmakers Hear Mixed Testimony on Composting, Recycling Bill
A committee considers one of the most significant updates of Maine’s solid waste management laws, a plan to divert more waste from landfills into recycling or composting programs. By Kevin Miller, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story AUGUSTA — Cities and towns could have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional fees Read More
NRCM Testimony in Support of LD 1578, “An Act to Update Maine’s Solid Waste Management Laws”
Senator Saviello, Representative Welsh, 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. I appreciate this opportunity to testify in support of LD 1578—but I do have some concerns and suggested amendments Read More
Sustainable Waste
Composting reduces disposal cost, improves soil by Gina Hamilton Boothbay Register news story Lincoln County has been ahead of the curve in sustainability for many years. It began recycling before almost anyone else had even heard of the word, in 1978, and is still the only county in New England that organizes recycling at a Read More
Why Fiberight Would Take Maine in Wrong Direction on Waste
By Sarah Lakeman, Special to the BDN Bangor Daily News op-ed As we head into 2016, many Mainers are talking about trash. State lawmakers are discussing a bill to move Maine closer to our goal of recycling 50 percent of our solid waste. Communities are exploring ways to recover food waste, increase composting and reduce Read More
