ecomaine has joined a diverse group of recycling and solid waste industry leaders, nonprofits, municipalities, and environmentalist groups to revive Maine Recycles Week for November of 2021. For the first time in more than a decade, Nov. 15-19 will be celebrated as Maine Recycles Week.

During this week, residents of Maine are asked to do their part to raise public awareness toward waste reduction and recycling and promote the purchase of products made from recycled materials. Participating organizations will provide tools to help residents engage with Maine Recycles Week.

“We know that the people of Maine really value their recycling programs,” said Matt Grondin, communications manager at ecomaine. “We’re proud to be a part of Maine Recycles Week to highlight the important role recycling plays in our environment and our economy. ecomaine’s commitment to educational outreach about recycling and sustainability fits very well with the goals of the weeklong celebration.”

Maine Recycles Week is being held Nov. 15 through Nov. 19 — but many people in Maine have been recycling for 30 years or more. Numerous businesses and industries in the State of Maine embrace an environmentally sound operational philosophy that reflect Maine’s citizens’ concerns and needs. A main goal of Maine Recycles Week is to promote participation in waste reduction and recycling systems on a local level while being mindful of the products they purchase.

In 1998, the Maine State Planning Office joined 45 other states to celebrate America Recycles Day (ARD). ARD posed as an opportunity for SPO to meet municipal demand for the promotion of recycling at a state level. However, local schools and municipal recycling programs deemed that one day was just not flexible enough to allow for maximum participation.

In response to the feedback, SPO brought together a group of interested people to talk about ARD and how to transform it into an event for Maine. To provide flexibility while still maintaining a sense of unity with the national effort, the group created Maine Recycles Week, a weeklong recycling celebration to be held in conjunction with ARD. Maine Recycles Week was held annually, for 12 years, from 1998 until 2010.

Now, thanks to the efforts of ecomaine, Casella, Maine Beverage Association, Maine Resource Recovery Association, Municipal Review Committee, Penobscot Energy Recovery Company (PERC), and many others, Maine Recycles Week will be celebrated again for the first time in 11 years.

Maine Recycles Week is currently developing a steering committee to discuss programming options for the event. Interested people or organizations should contact Shelby.wright@casella.com for more information.

For more information and updates on Maine Recycles Week 2021, follow Maine Recycles on Facebook.