Waste Reduction Committee

Waste Reduction Committee - Apr 15 2026 Agenda Wednesday, April 15, 2026 at 5:30 PM To join from a computer or mobile device: https://meet.google.com/nqc-zpax-tgt Page A. Opening 1. Call to Order - Welcome and Introduction4-15-26 WRC Meeting Agenda.pdf 2 2. Approval of MinutesWRC Draft Meeting Minutes 03_18_2026.pdf 4 3. Approval of May Tip- Trash 4. Earth Day Reminder and Roles- April 25 B. Action Old and New Business 1. UMaine Pilot Program Updates- Promoting 2. Review Tabling Set Up- Demo 3. New Topics? C. Next Steps 1. Changes needed to Event Set Up 2. Zero Waste Event Planning Guide Discussion 3. Summer Contest D. Open Discussion 1. Open Discussion - Opportunity to discuss next areas of focus for The Committee 2. Public Comments E. Adjournment Page 1 of 6 WRC Meeting Agenda Date: April 15, 2026 Location: Sustainability Department, 829 Sawyer St. South Portland 1. Call to Order 2. House Keeping 5:30-5:45 ●​ Welcome and Introduction ●​ Approval of Meeting Minutes from March ●​ Approval of Tip for May - Christoper / Trash ●​ Reminder of Earth Day Event - April 25th 3. Discussion/Updates 5:45-6:30 ●​ UMaine FWPP Update ●​ Review Table Set-Up for Events ●​ New Topics from the Sustainability Office? 4. Action Items 6:30-7:00 ●​ Changes needed to Event Set-Up ●​ Zero Waste Event Planning Guide Recommendations - Come ready to discuss! ●​ Summer Contest 5. Public Comments ●​ Next Meeting May 20, 2026 Notes ●​ Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities in 2026 April 25​ ​ Earth Day Resource Fair​ ​ Saturday, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM​ ​ Location: Mill Creek Park Page 2 of 6  September 11 (tentative)​ ​ Senior Age-Friendly Resource Fair​ ​ Friday, 9:00 AM–12:00 PM​ ​ Location: South Portland Community Center ​ September (tentative)​ ​ Back to School Night​ ​ Location: South Portland Middle School Page 3 of 6 South Portland Waste Reduction Committee (WRC) Meeting Minutes (Draft): March 18, 2026 Minutes taken by Nick Benfaremo Attendees: √ Evan Twachtman Chair; District 3 √ Nick Benfaremo Secretary; District 5 absent Lissa Bittermann At-large James Martin Dorn √ District 2 (Marty) absent Linda Libby At-large √ Lauren Thomas District 1 √ Christopher Walton District 4 √ Julie Taft Staff Liaison √ Emily Cambell Remote, Resident Quorum: yes no 1. Call to Order Meeting called to order. 2. House Keeping A) Meeting Minutes from February 18, 2026 – accepted. B) Welcome and Introduction  New Committee Member James Martin Dorn (“Marty”)  Welcome resident Emily Campbell (remote) C) Meeting Format  Evan T. explained a change in the meeting format, where Housekeeping would be addressed quickly, followed by a new section for Discussions and Updates. This new section is intended for the committee to act as a focus group or sounding board for the Sustainability Department's messaging and initiatives, such as the pay-as-you-throw program. D) Approval of Tip for April - Food Waste (Nick)  The Committee reviewed the assigned tip for the April City newsletter, which Nick drafted, focusing on food waste The tip explains the current status of the food waste collection system and upcoming changes, including the transition to Garbage to Garden starting April 1st. The tip was approved with a minor change emphasizing the importance and necessity of residents not allowing plastic bags to enter the new composting system. Page 1 of 3 Page 4 of 6 South Portland Waste Reduction Committee (WRC) Meeting Minutes (Draft): March 18, 2026 Minutes taken by Nick Benfaremo  The committee agreed to keep the tip concise, but to add a link to the city's website, which would contain the full postcard mailer graphic with more details To align with ADA requirements, any accompanying image, such as a compost bucket, must have subtext describing the visual elements. A hyperlink to the Maine Organic Farmer and Gardener Association (MOFGA) certification information will also be added for curious readers. E) May Newsletter Tip – Trash/Landfill (Christopher)  The Committee designated the Topic for the May Newsletter Tip to be "trash" or "landfill" to cover the third waste stream. The committee discussed the challenge of using the word "landfill," as "trash" is the common term used in city documents, but "landfill" is more impactful They agreed to remind people of the waste hierarchy (reduce, reuse, recycle) and that trash is the last option because the tipping fee for trash is the highest. F) Confirm Volunteers for the Earth Day Event - April 25th  Christopher and Evan were confirmed as volunteers for the Earth Day event, with Marty also volunteering for the breakdown.  Garbage to Garden will for the event's waste management, reducing their rate by acting as volunteers.  There will be four waste stations (trash, recycle, compost) aligning with zero waste guidelines, with one station designated for the Waste Reduction Committee and the others staffed by volunteers. G) U.Maine FWPP Update  Promoting the program through Instagram, newsletters, and the website has begun, and four new people signed up during a recent tabling session at Second Rodeo. The staff training and display setup at the locations are key to its success.  Evan, Julie and Chris commented that they felt that the tabling at the events at Verbena and Second Rodeo were quite successful based on their experiences. 3. Discussion/Updates A) Zero Wast Event Planning Guidelines  The Committee decided to focus their June social media tip on hosting a Zero-Waste Event. The plan is to ask the community to submit pictures of their zero-waste stations for summer events, potentially using platforms like Instagram or Facebook, as the city does not currently use it. This campaign aims to increase engagement. ideas for prizes for the best contributions was discussed. Julie will look into funding for such.  The Committee is interested in updating the City’s existing Zero-Waste Event Guideline document and Committee members have been asked to review it and come with ideas and suggested revisions to be discussed at the April 2026 meeting. Page 2 of 3 Page 5 of 6 South Portland Waste Reduction Committee (WRC) Meeting Minutes (Draft): March 18, 2026 Minutes taken by Nick Benfaremo Action Items  Committee member have been asked to review the City’s existing Zero-Waste Event Guideline brochure and come with ideas and suggested revisions for the April 2026 meeting.  Julie will look into finding money for possible Zero Waste Event Photo prizes. Public Comments  None Notes  Next Meeting: April 15, 2026 Page 3 of 3 Page 6 of 6