As an environmentalist, I am constantly questioning the environmental impact of my everyday actions. Sometimes this leads to change, and sometimes it leads to more questions. My most recent dilemma was how to reduce the amount of trash I create. I used to track my trash generation when a Pay As You Throw (PAYT) policy Read More
sustainability
Unity College Awarded for Taking a Bite Out of Food Waste!
Unity College was recently recognized by the National Association of College and University Food Services for its commitment to sustainability! That’s good news, not only for the college but for other educational institutions throughout Maine. Unity’s efforts include initiatives that look at every level of the Food Recovery Hierarchy as a tool in the toolbox Read More
Brunswick Adopts New Pesticide Rules
Original ordinance from 2007 limited use in town by Juliette Laaka Times Record news story Brunswick will now give preference to organic pesticides over chemical treatments on all town-owned land, thanks to ordinance amendments adopted by the town council on Monday. The original land care ordinance, adopted in 2007, limited the use of pesticides on Read More
Good News for Belfast, Bad News for Bags!
Belfast just became the tenth Maine town to adopt an ordinance to reduce the use of single-use plastic bags! On August 15, the Belfast City Council passed the ordinance, which bans single-use plastic bags. And, while they were at it, councilors also voted to ban foam food packaging, adding Belfast to the growing list of Read More
Belfast Becomes Latest City to Ban Plastic Bags, Polystyrene
By Nick McCrea, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story BELFAST, Maine — Paper or canvas? Shoppers in Belfast will need to remember to bring their own bags from home, or get used to paper, because plastic is on the way out. Belfast city councilors approved a citywide ban on single-use plastic shopping bags and Read More
Waterville Group Eyes Portland Blueprint to Propose Fee on Plastic, Paper Bags
The Sustain Mid Maine Coalition is eyeing regulations for city bags, but Mayor Nick Isgro says he’s not in favor of fees and calls it ‘an incredibly controversial issue.’ by Colin Ellis, Staff Writer Central Maine newspapers news story WATERVILLE — A group planning to recommend city regulations on single-use shopping bags in Waterville may Read More
King Middle School Students Create and Lead Community Clean-up!
More than 30 people from the King Middle School community and beyond came together to fight marine debris at East End Beach in Portland. Together, we picked up nearly 8,000 pieces of litter, most of it in one afternoon on June 4. The project was all a part of a challenge we participated in sponsored Read More
Saco Bans Single-use Plastic Bags!
Earlier this spring, Saco became the ninth Maine town to enact an ordinance to ban single-use plastic bags. Saco’s ordinance will apply to all businesses in the town and follows on the heels of the city’s efforts to curb the use of single-use foam containers. Several Maine towns, including Saco, have now banned the use Read More
House Overrides LePage’s Veto of “Nips” Bottle-deposit Bill
If the Senate also agrees to override, the governor says he’ll end sales of the popular miniature bottles of liquor that often end up as litter. by Kevin Miller, staff writer Portland Press Herald news story AUGUSTA — House lawmakers voted Tuesday to override Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of a bill that would impose a Read More
