A bill that would force product makers to shoulder the cost of cleaning up packaging materials cleared a legislative panel this week, potentially putting Maine on track to be the first state in the country to implement such a system.
The bill passed Monday after lawmakers approved amendments proposed by the state Department of Environmental Protection in response to concerns raised by private industry during a public hearing this month. “We really tried to discuss every single change and the merits of it – there are some things that really and truly are compromise,” said bill co-sponsor Rep. Nicole Grohoski, D-Ellsworth. “It’s said that a good bill is one that makes no one happy – that is what is being presented here.”
Plans to introduce a so-called extended producer responsibility program for packaging have percolated in Maine for several years. Last year, a similar bill was endorsed by lawmakers in committee before expiring when the Legislature adjourned early.
Under L.D. 1541, producers of packaging material would have to pay into a fund, administered by an independent organization, that would be used to pay for municipal recycling, waste management, and reducing waste through education and infrastructure. Companies could reduce their liability to the program by creating independent recycling programs or reducing the amount of packaging on the products they sell.