Hosting a waste-free gathering doesn’t have to be difficult. Here are a few tried-and-true tips to reduce food waste on your next summer cookout – and during your holiday feasts, too.
Here are six ways that urban forestry can help our communities if we choose to invest in it.
“Single-use containers are a scourge on our communities and our environment,” said Nora Bosworth, Zero Waste Attorney at CLF. “Bottle and can redemption systems are a proven way to reduce plastic pollution and make sure that these materials are recycled into new products. Maine’s updated law will revitalize the state’s most successful recycling program, and ultimately result in a cleaner environment and less litter for our communities.”
CLF’s new senior vice president of law and policy is a veteran environmental advocate primed to oversee the organization’s advocacy efforts across New England.
Climate justice is about recognizing that climate impacts, such as extended heat waves, stronger winds, and intense rainstorms, disproportionately affect marginalized communities. It calls for urgent action to prevent further harm and ensure equitable access to clean energy solutions, prioritizing historically marginalized communities for a sustainable and fair future.
“Single-use beverage containers pollute our communities and our planet at every stage of their lives, and the problem is only getting worse,” said CLF Senior Attorney Mara Shulman. “A new bottle bill would go a long way to clean up the scourge of litter in Rhode Island’s communities while ramping up recycling rates across the state. The formation of a study committee is a great first step, but we certainly have more work to do in getting a bottle bill on the books in the next session.”
Litter is taking a toll on Massachusetts’ health and economy. These three reasons show how an updated bottle bill could help us change that.
“The State’s decision is an assault on one of our bedrock environmental protections,” said CLF attorney Mason Overstreet. “Dangerous chemicals are leaching out of this landfill and polluting the Black River and Lake Memphremagog, a drinking water source for thousands of people. The State’s irresponsible decision not to require a Clean Water Act permit blows a hole through the law’s core protections and leaves Vermonters exposed to pollutants. The court should reverse the state’s decision and require a permit with effective pollution control limits.”
“There’s no reason why tons of food should end up in New Hampshire’s landfills and incinerators,” said CLF attorney Nora Bosworth, Zero Waste Attorney at CLF. “Food decomposing in landfills spews toxic methane pollution, threatening our health and worsening the climate crisis. In fact, food is the single largest component in most landfills, so keeping it out of our trash will decrease our reliance on poisonous and unsustainable landfills. This provision will ensure that more food is donated or and composted, which is a win for our communities and the planet.”
“The community spoke loud and clear in opposition of this polluting plant,” said CLF Environmental Justice Advocate Jordan Thompson. “The company irresponsibly attempted to push through its plan to build this facility in the middle of a diverse neighborhood that Nashua is invested in improving. The city absolutely made the right decision to deny this plant and protect the health, safety and quality of life of the neighborhood instead.”
