By Rick Wright

Staff Writer

Sue Ellen Whitmore, owner of Zeta Café in South Portland, is one of ecomaine’s eco-Excellence award winners for 2010. 

Whitmore decorated and furnished the café with recycled material. Staff at the café use wire baskets salvaged from old locker rooms to carry utensils. 

Church pews, a hitching post, old signs, tables and old wood were used to renovate the space on Ocean Street. The café opened late last fall.

“Everything old is new again,” Whitmore said.

“I’m very proud of it,” said Whitmore about receiving the award. “My award is right over there on the counter so that everyone can see it.”

Whitmore was nominated for the award by South Portland City Councilor Maxine Beecher.

The Cape Elizabeth High School Environmental Club and science teacher Sue Guerette were also given an eco-Excellence award for decreasing the amount of food waste disposal from the cafeteria. Rather than throwing it out, the material was composted. 

The weight of compost material is weighed and the amount of recycling is also documented to determine next steps in their educational campaign for students, teachers and the community.

Ecomaine is a municipally owned non-profit organization that owns and operates the only single-sort recycling facility in Maine.