A ton of beach trash earns Portland resident sustainability award

FORECASTER • June 28, 2021

Mary Vertz has spearheaded the removal of more than a ton of trash from East End Beach since she first began picking up litter while walking her dog in 2018. “It’s shocking,” she said of the more than 2,000 pounds she and other volunteers from her group, Casco Bay Cleanup Project, have collected along East End Beach and Eastern Promenade. At its annual meeting, ecomaine, a Portland-based recycling and waste-to-energy operation, awarded Vertz and Casco Bay Cleanup Project an eco-Excellence award.