Environmental Services

Learn what the Town of Orono is doing to reduce its impact on the environment and how you can help by exploring the topics below. 

Environmental News!

Orono energy efficiency fair header

We welcome you to attend the Orono Energy Efficiency Fair! The Town of Orono is committed to prioritizing community climate resilience and enacting climate action projects. The Town has recently enrolled in the State of Maine’s Community Resilience Partnership and adopted a resolution of commitment to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, the Town of Orono is hosting an Energy Efficiency Fair for the greater Bangor region so residents can learn more about efficient energy options. This Fair is free to the public (but you must register here for a free entry for the Trek bike door prize) and is funded by the State of Maine's Community Resilience Partnership Climate Action Grant and the University of Maine's Office of Sustainability.

Date: Saturday, October 7th, 2023

Time: 9am - 3:30pm

Location: Wells Conference Center - University of Maine, 131 Munson Rd, Orono, ME 04473

WINDOW DRESSERS - Insulating Window Inserts

The Town of Orono is hosting a WindowDressers event for the greater Bangor area. WindowDressers create Insulating Window Inserts that let in light while stopping drafts, give your window roughly double the insulation, reduce your greenhouse gas emissions, and lower your energy bills in the winter! Window inserts are custom built for your windows and are simply placed within the window in the winter for added insulation. No more sticky tape on your window sills!  

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

  • All of the inserts are built during October 21-26th in two 4 hour building sessions each day at Keith Anderson Community House (19 Bennoch Road, Orono).

Click here for more information!


Window insert building

PESTICIDE COLLECTIONS

Each October, the Maine Board of Pesticides Control collects unwanted or obsolete pesticides from homeowners and farms for respondsible disposal. To learn more how you can discard of your unwanted pesticides please visit the website here. Pre-registration is required. 

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PENOBSCOT CLIMATE ACTION PLAN

Penobscot Climate Action is a regional climate action planning collaborative for the communities of Bangor, Brewer, Penobscot Indian Island, Veazie, Bradley, Hampden, Hermon, Milford, Old Town, Orono, and Orrington. The work aims to understand our region's vulnerabilities to climate change and develop actionable plans and strategies to build a more climate resilient future for our communities' people, economy, and environment. 

The Penobscot Climate Action team is developing strategies to strengthen the region’s people, economy, and environment in a sustainable way. Strategies could be programs, policies, projects, etc. They are broken out into five categories, representing high priority issue areas in the region. Please help us identify which of these strategies are important to you and which would have a positive impact on your community by filling out this survey!

To read more about the plan, visit the Penobscot Climate Action webpage. 

To get a quick glimpse of the project, download our flyer here. 

BROWNTAIL MOTH MITIGATION 

btmFebruary is Browntail Moth Awareness Month! The Town of Orono manages a citizen monitoring website for the invasive Browntail Moth (BTM) that is both a forest and human health concern. Click on the link above to learn more about BTM and help report BTM locations in Orono for BTM management. 

For information on the research being done to better understand, monitor, and control BTM please check out this summary report from the Forest Entomology Lab (UMaine's School of Biology and Ecology) led by Dr. Angela Mech. 

EMERALD ASH BORER

It has been documented that Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), a destructive invasive insect to Ash trees, has spread from southern Maine to Newport and Corinna. That is only 30 miles away and contains Orono in the emergency order area. The Tree Board would like to make everyone aware of the possibility of EAB spreading to Orono in the future. If you have beloved Ash trees on your property please help us in the effort of monitoring them so we can stay as proactive as possible. Additionally, we ask that you be very diligent about not transporting infested firewood. Untreated out of State firewood is banned, but even moving firewood from within Maine can spread damaging pests. We are working on creating a strong EAB management plan so that the Town is proactively prepared to deal with an infestation. Please refer to the  for more information on EAB infestations in Maine. 

EAB Detections and Regulated Areas 3-31-2023

EUROPEAN FIRE ANTS MONITORING WEBSITE

European fire ant under a microscopeThe Town of Orono is starting to monitor for the invasive European fire ant that is a nuisance pest to lawns and gardens of residents. Click here to learn more about European fire ants and help report infestation locations in Orono for management purposes. 

DONATE CLOTHES INSTEAD OF PUTTING THEM IN THE LANDFILL

A bin of clothes that are being recycledNearly 10% of all trash in local landfills are textiles (i.e. clothes, shoes, purses, sheets, towels, hats, etc.). Apparel Impact provides towns and municipalities the opportunity to reduce their landfills of textiles and recover them; creating more local jobs, reducing landfill waste and reducing towns overall budgets spent on the disposal of textiles. 

There is a textile recycling bin that is on the side of the Birch St Senior Center (Thrift Store) in Orono. Please feel free to recycle spent/nonwearable condition textile items into this bin. Items must be dry, contain no odor or mold. Items DO NOT need to be in wearable condition. However, we encourage people to donate gently used clothing and other textiles to the Thrift Store to be worn by someone else.


ADDITIONAL CARDBOARD RECYCLING LOCATION

A pile of cardboard boxes

Additional cardboard recycling bins are located at ND Paper for Orono residents. This cardboard will be recycled to make new cardboard. Cardboard will still be accepted during single sort recycling pick up. 

2023 Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event

Saturday, June 10, 2023 from 8:00am to noon.

Residents of Orono and Old Town (proof of residency required) can drop off household hazardous waste materials to:

  • Recycling Center
  • 246 Gilman Falls Avenue
  • Old Town, ME

This event gives an opportunity for residents to discard of their household hazardous waste responsibly so it does not harmfully pollute our environment and landfills

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Contact Us

  1. Megan Hess

    Environmental Services Coordinator
    Email
    More Information