All landfills leak – some over time and some from day one of operation – leaching toxic chemicals into the ground and the water supply. Despite state and federal regulation, landfills are harming the health and environment of communities in New England.
A new report finds that it’s not only possible, but critical to upgrade these facilities to electricity so our neighbors don’t live in their polluting shadows.
In most states, bottle return programs don’t cover wine bottles. So, our options for recycling them are limited. That means they end up mixed with trash or littering our communities. But there’s a simple solution: expand bottle bills.
This decision sends a powerful message: the lived experience of the Penobscot Nation matters, and environmental justice cannot be ignored.
In South Providence and across New England, neighbors are proving that environmental justice starts with community power. From blocking polluting projects to shaping new laws, families and advocates are shifting the balance of power – building healthier, fairer futures for everyone.
After years of organizing, New Bedford residents won a major victory: the Board of Health rejected a massive waste transfer station that threatened public health and piled pollution onto already overburdened neighborhoods. Their persistence shows the power of community to stop harmful projects — and win environmental justice.
Across regions, people are standing up for their health, culture, and environment – pushing back on unjust waste infrastructure and reclaiming power over their communities’ futures. In Old Town, Maine, and New Bedford, Massachusetts, residents are confronting a familiar pattern – and showing what it takes to break the cycle and build lasting change.
How does your state stack up in this report card? Could your elected officials be doing more to cut litter and keep bottles out of landfills?
The Maine Legislature has passed LD 1065, a new law that will help large food institutions – from grocery stores to college cafeterias – keep food out of landfills and incinerators.
The uptick in composting is a huge step forward in combatting our trash crisis. But we can’t do the hard work on our own. We need cities, towns, and states to invest in infrastructure that will make composting easy and affordable for everyone.
