Cornish
Actions In Progress
Cindy - 11/6/22 - Cornish: Zero Waste Solution author talk, foam recycling, co-op survey; articles on Skinny Pancake and Lara’s Tacqueria
Cindy - 10/23/22 - Cornish - successful foam collection on 10.22; 20 people and handouts provided; 10.31 collection in Lebanon; traveling to Gilford for drop off instead of Palmer, MA; still working on Coop to reduce SUP and complete restaurant survey for their cafe
Cornish - 10/9/22 - Cindy: outreach and resource sharing to King Arthur Flour and Red Door Bakery; foam collection on Oct. 22 in Cornish, Oct. 29 in Lebanon; processing in Gilford 10.31
Cornish/Lebanon - 9/25/22 – Cindy H.: Restaurant Project – Sustainable Lebanon is interested along with Reb; Foam collection in Lebanon Oct 29, Hanover planning one post holidays; Lebanon Coop (75 yr. old group of 4 stores) – After 1 year of discussion with Cindy and others, management voted for the first time to have 4 goals to reduce environmental impacts. Now stores will choose which actions to begin, e.g., reduce plastic packaging, reduce SUP bags; Sustainability Leaders Circle Grant – NH Health Workers for Climate Action will handle funds from grants and donations, e.g., anonymous $300 just received. Anonymous donors will support Kennedy’s attendance
Cornish/Lebanon - 9/211/22 – Cindy: speaking @ LHS, Co-op advancing slowly, Oct. 22/29, webinar, DES SWMP comments submitted
Cornish - 8/14/22 - Cindy: Has done deep dive into chemicals in plastic after talking with Jenny Davies, MD advisor to Cafeteria Culture. Looked at ME legislative work on banning chemicals in plastic. Maybe it's something we want to pursue. Placed a call and was able to get energy bars in bulk, so she doesn’t have to get them individually wrapped in plastic. Work with Coop moving forward. Has been an executive limitation issued, which means the board lays out a statement and Coop has to figure out how to achieve what is presented as goal. This one was “Managers will not make decisions in purchasing that are harmful to the environment.” This should include plastic. Learned about what EU is doing to ban chemicals to protect humans and the environment. Left PWG brochures with NE Resource Recovery Association. They will distribute.
Cornish - 6/19/22 - Cindy: Impressed with Summit. Guilford Public Works densifier should be showing up right after 4th of July. Lyndonville, VT also is receiving a densifier after the 4th of July. Will be two locations for collection. Nonresidents can drop off foam at the Public Works garage in Gilford. Rotary clubs will start promoting foam collection and deliver the foam to Gilford. Public Education needs to accompany this initiative and will be next on the agenda. Promoting PFJ–library doing displays and screening Microplastic Madness. Continuing conversations with local Blue Sky Restaurant Group which is interested in exploring the Ocean Free Restaurant designation. She is still working on the project with the co-op food store in regard to single use plastic.
Cornish - 5/20/22 - Cindy: spoke at NRRA Conference with UMaine proff. Working on community engagement; 90 ppl in her session: transfer station, town admin, conservation commission members, MSW, etc. ; Shared about 10towns (stressed word “town” is broad); Taking action at local level because it isn’t working at state level; Bonnie C. was there ; Breakout groups with questions: what actions ppl would choose to take beyond traditional recycling streams; foam, film plastic, batteries, bulbs, textiles; Lack of consistency in recycling across state; NRRA acts as a broker for communities to sell their recycling commodities; Interested in how to engage with local policy makers; Cindy talked about emerging OFR / rivers; Gilford DPW mgr discussed switching to source separated and increase in profit; Installing foam densifier ;Cindy spoke with Rep. Ebel: Frustration…need more successes at the local level! ; Continuing to work with Co-op to phase out s/u bags in produce section: Very focused on revenue and short staffed + Board is interested, Lebanon students interested but everyone is too busy; Next foam collection likely in October in conjunction with Rotary
Cornish - 5/822 - Cindy: Had styrofoam collection in Lebanon; great handout, including information on REDUCING foam use (thanks to Cynthia). Spoke with her Co-Op grocery store’s board of directors about reducing single-use plastic in bulk and produce sections, and has support from Lebanon students. Co-op finally returning to efforts suspended during COVID. Gilford will have a foam densifier beginning in June.
Cornish 4/24/22 - Cindy helped set up Cornish & Plainfield library Earth Day display w/NEC posters; presenting at NRRA conference, working w/co-op; presenting at NEC Climate Action Course with Bonnie
Cornish - 4/10/22- Cindy sent letters on various bills, advancing statewide foam collection/systems change & related consumer education; presenting on TTTA Toolkit at NRRA conference in May; communicating with Co-op on phasing out SUP and reusables campaign
Cornish - 3/27/2022 - Cindy is excited about Youth Summit, foam recycling, Earth Day, Plastic Free July; book list - will donate books; e-book w/PHS Eco Club & Lilac; co-op SUP; beer can carrier reuse program, screening of Microplastic Madness in Plainfield/Cornish; waste audit April 1 @ LHS
Cornish - 3/13/2022 - Cindy is advancing regional & local foam collections with Rotary District Governors in 3 states, presented to faith groups (Granite State Organizing Project, Church of Christ @ Dartmouth); Plastics Free July event w/Plainfield; April 16 Lebanon foam collection event; presenting at NRRA conf
Actions Completed
Ten Towns Leader Cindy convened 3 Rotary District Governors to discuss creating a multi-state foam recycling system under their environmental action goals.
Connected with local Rotary Club.
We collected a 10' trailer load of foam to take to a recycling facility in Mass. We did consumer education on reducing waste, the densification/recycling process, and spoke with one future candidate for NH legislature. We had great cooperation from the Recycling staff.
On July 17, 2022, Ten Towns Leader Cindy held a plastic-free picnic! Attendees shared their experiences with reusable alternatives to plastic packaging, enjoyed a pot luck picnic, and listened to folk music! There was a cloth bag give away, with bags donated by Edgewater Farm in Plainfield.