See Campaign History for the stories behind many of these changes.
| Original Law | 1980 Changes | 1990 Update | 1991 Addition | 1993 | 2003 Additions/ Changes | 2009 Changes | Current Law | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Maine Returnable Beverage Container Law | |||||||
| Purpose | Reduce litter and solid waste generation, create incentives for recycling and reuse | |||||||
| Enacted | 11/2/1976 | 6/25/2003 | 6/16/2009 | |||||
| Implemented | 6/1/1978 | 1/1/1990 | 3/1/2004 | 9/12/2009 | ||||
| Beverages Covered | Beer, soft drink, mineral water, wine cooler | Expanded to include wine, liquor, water and non-alcoholic carbonated or non-carbonated drinks | All beverages except dairy products and unprocessed cider | |||||
| Containers Covered | Aseptic packages were banned | The ban on aseptics was repealed | all sealed containers made of glass, metal or plastic, containing 4 liters or less, excluding aseptics | |||||
| Amount of Deposit | Wine/liquor: 15¢ All others: 5¢ | Wine/liquor: 15¢ All others: 5¢ | ||||||
| Redemption Rate | Maine's law has no reporting mechanism to track the data (5) | |||||||
| Reclamation System | Retail stores and redemption centers; Dealers may refuse containers if they have an agreement with a nearby redemption center | Retail stores and redemption centers; Dealers may refuse containers if they have an agreement with a nearby redemption center | ||||||
| Unredeemed Deposits | 50% of unredeemed deposits escheat to state; the remainder are kept by distributors | Original escheat provision repealed | New escheat provision established. Unredeemed deposits (on any container not part of an approved commingling agreement) become property of state. | Property of state (when containers are not subject to a commingling agreement) | ||||
| Handling Fee | 1¢ | Increased to 2¢ | Increased to 3¢ | Increased to 3.5¢ | Increased to 4¢ (effective Mar 1, 2010) | 4¢ (.5¢ less if qualified commingling agreement) (2) | ||
| View Legislation | Maine Law through 2010 | Current Law | ||||||
| Notes | Distributors who initiate deposits have the obligation to pick up containers from the dealers they deliver to or from the licensed redemption center that serves those dealers.There is a per container fine of $100 for tendering containers purchased out of state for redemption. | Requirements were added to regulate bulk redemption, the licensing of redemption centers, and to require the collection of plastic wrapping. | ||||||
Footnotes[2] Statutes of Maine: Title 32: Chapter 28: Section 4-c (http://janus.state.me.us/legis/statutes/32/title32sec1866.html) [5] Source: Maine Dept. of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry E-mail Communication with Steve Giguire 2/27/15 |
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