Mainers take pride in our state - we embody our roots, our coastal communities, and our simple way of living. If you’re ‘from away,’ you’ve probably experienced this passionate sentiment first-hand. We hold this special place close to our hearts, and we care deeply about doing everything we can to keep Maine pristine for all of us. That said, it’s no small feat.
Last summer, Maine welcomed almost 8 million people to this beautiful pocket of New England that we call home. To put that into perspective, our little town of York has around 14,000 year round residents, and that number increases to around 50,000 residents in the summer - a huge flux in seasonal traffic between locals and visitors.
In honor of Earth Day this month, we want to share unique things some Maine businesses are doing to help fight the climate crisis. This unofficial holiday holds a lot of weight for us, as Maine ranks number 3 among the country’s ‘greenest’ states.
1. Mr. Fox Composting (York, Maine)
One way sustainable Maine businesses — including The Nevada and our other properties — are tackling the climate crisis is with composting. We’ve partnered with Mr. Fox Composting to not only compost our food waste, but also transition to compostable packaging for all of our products from portion cups to the coffee in our hotel rooms. Mr. Fox is based locally in York, and they believe the future of our planet is dependent on all of us changing small, daily habits to reduce our environmental impact, and composting is one simple way to do that. They’ve even grown the flowers we display on tables with the compost from our food waste! Want to learn more about Mr. Fox? Check out our Q&A with Mr. Fox to learn more.
2. Slack Tide Sea Salt (York, Maine)
The ‘big box’ salt industry is huge - so huge that it’s all too common that sustainable practices fall by the wayside in trade for efficiency and revenue. The makers at Slack Tide Sea Salt take pride in a responsible working waterfront. In fact, in recent testing of big batch salt production across common household table salts, 94% of globally tested products contained microplastics. This woman-owned business does right by the Earth by intentionally staying small-batch, processing everything by hand, and harnessing the power of natural sunlight. There’s no better way to literally take a piece of Maine home with you, with bonus points for being nutritious and tasty.
3. Atlantic Sea Farms (Biddeford, Maine)
By now, you’ve probably noticed seaweed is the latest health and skincare trend. The team at Atlantic Sea Farms has perfected sustainable, regenerative farming of this nutrient dense, antioxidant rich seaweed. Take it from them: “By working alongside fishing families to cultivate regenerative kelp on open ocean sea farms, we have grown to represent the majority of farmed seaweed in the US. We know that we can build a food system that prioritizes farmers, the environment, and health of consumers, and are working to make seaweed a shining example of how our food systems can and should work.”
4. Grain Surfboards (York, Maine)
Our friends at Grain Surfboards are making waves, always leading their industry by example. They hand craft wooden surfboards that have more impact on your surfing and less impact on the environment. By specializing in wooden surfboards as a better alternative to what’s become the environmentally-harmful industry norms, the idea is that these boards will never see the landfill. With their GreenRail method for example, they combine the best wood board construction with the benefit of a solid, hand shaped GreenRail made entirely from recycled plastic bottles. Not only that, but almost all the waste produced from these rails is recycled to complete the circle. They focus on the ‘why’, so you can focus on the waves.
5. Jimbo’s Surf Wax - Hampton, New Hampshire
You shouldn’t have to think twice about what you are bringing into the water with you when the waves are good, and when you use Jimbo’s Surf Wax, there’s no need to. Jimbo’s boasts the most-used wax on the East Coast — and even though it's from New Hampshire, everyone in Maine uses it. The main thing we love about this family-owned business is the small batch, 100% organic, wood stove-cooked and melted wax that is free from paraffin and other harmful additives that most surf waxes have. That way, it doesn’t leak into Maine’s clean oceans. Check out their cold water wax, perfect for May ocean temps!
6. We Fill Good (Kittery, Maine)
In the last 10 years, we’ve seen a transition from solely relying on big supermarkets for anything and everything, to now offering local solutions that benefit the consumer and the local community. The rise of refill stores checks all the right boxes, and when you shop at We Fill Good, you’re using high quality, low waste product options at a bulk-order price point. They offer eco-friendly cleaning, body care and home products, and carry them in bulk so that customers can reuse their own containers and opt for a low-waste lifestyle. The owner knows it’s about progress not perfection, and she offers many ways and products for locals to start reducing their impact today.
7. Crane Hotels (York, Maine)
As the owners of three coastal properties, we really care about constantly improving on our sustainability practices. For example, our new rooms at The Viewpoint were built with passive design principles, with thoughtfully-architected roof overhangs which reduce energy consumption by up to 25% in the sunniest months. Plus, there are small things in our everyday ways of doing business that are more sustainable, too: From ensuring plentiful vegan options on every restaurant menu, to partnering with local companies like Mr. Fox Composting to compost all food and packaging waste, to having at least two electric vehicle chargers at each property. You can learn more about our sustainability practices at The Viewpoint here.
Sustainable efforts come in many different shapes and forms, but simply making more conscious decisions about how you spend your dollar is a huge step in the right direction. No need to be green with envy - if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, for a better planet for all of us to enjoy.