Sustainable Operations for Craft Brewers: EFC is implementing an EPA Pollution Prevention (P2) project to provide technical assistance to the Maine Craft Beverage sector on source reduction opportunities that can increase environmental, economic and social (triple bottom line) performance and can help the industry become more competitive in a water and waste intensive industry. The project includes Process Mapping the operations of craft brewers with students form the University of Southern Maine Tourism and Hospitality program that has a brewery best practices curriculum. The project is collaborating with partners in New Hampshire and Vermont to collectively find opportunities to develop benchmarks and best practices that will be a model of sustainable operations practices for small breweries. 

Waste Reduction in Schools: Over half of a school’s daily trash is generated in the cafeterias. Roughly 50% of that “trash” consists of recyclable items and roughly 25% is food waste that can be composted. When students and staff sort their leftovers into recycling bins and composting buckets, the volume of trash is significantly reduced – on average, by 75%.

 

Schools have a unique opportunity to promote environmental literacy and stewardship and engage the next generation of environmental leaders. Students have the opportunity for Service Learning in a hands-on program that connects science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) with best practices of sustainability. See the tools that can help schools launch cafeteria recycling and composting programs.