DON’T WASTE ME: TAKING ACTION TO CLOSE THE LOOPHOLE

This spring, the community leaders working to close a major loophole in Maine’s policy on landfills made waves once again.

Don’t Waste ME, a community group that includes leaders of the Penobscot Nation as well as neighbors living next to the state’s largest landfill, has been fighting to close a loophole that allows out-of-state waste to fill Maine’s landfills, effectively making Maine a dumping ground for the region.

Last spring, the group brought dozens of supporters together for a car caravan and speak-out, driving past the Juniper Ridge Landfill in Old Town, Maine, and calling for the state to close the loophole and protect our communities.

Maine has taken some important steps forward on zero waste, including passing a law holding companies responsible for the cost of disposing of the packaging they create for products. People like Old Town neighbors and members of the Penobscot Nation who are on the front lines of our waste crisis are ready with solutions to make a zero-waste Maine come to life.