Product Stewardship

We need better policies that make doing the right thing the easiest choice for people and businesses. While we are all stewards, it’s important to hold corporations accountable for the waste they create.  

Maine has had a goal of recycling 50% of our waste since 1989, but we have never reached it. In fact, we are going backwards. Maine also set a per-capita disposal rate reduction goal, and that, unfortunately, is increasing. There are many different types of product stewardship policy solutions we can pursue to help reach our goals. Here are just a few: 

• Bans on specific problematic materials and chemicals, like Maine’s ban on single-use plastic bags and plastic foam food containers.
    
• Financial incentives to drive behavior, such as charging for disposable coffee cups and paper bags to encourage reusables, and pay-as-you-throw policies to encourage more recycling at home.  
  
• Standard regulations, including minimum recycled content standards for products and packaging to support recycling end markets, and accurate recycling instructions on packaging. 
  
• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws hold companies accountable and financially responsible for the waste created by their businesses. 

Extended Producer Responsibility Laws

When producers of a product are required to take responsibility for establishing and/or funding recycling programs, they have an incentive to design greener, safer products that are less wasteful, more recyclable, and contain fewer toxins.  

Thanks to NRCM’s leadership in partnership with local businesses, municipalities, and elected officials, Maine has one of the most comprehensive sets of EPR laws in the nation, covering: Mercury Thermostats; Fluorescent Light Bulbs; Electronic Waste; Rechargeable Batteries; Cell Phones; Unused Paint; Beverage Containers; Unused Drugs, and Packaging. 

How to Participate in Maine’s EPR Programs

Mercury Thermostats

Earn $5.00 when you bring your old thermostat to one of more than 100 retail locations for recycling. Most towns also have waste collection sites where you can drop off your thermostat. You can also mail it back to the manufacturer for free. Learn more about why the safe collection of mercury-containing products is important. Use the Maine Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP’s) map to find out where to bring your old thermostat.

• Bring your thermostat to a participating wholesaler for a $5.00 mail-in coupon. 
• Bring your thermostat to a participating retailer for instant $5.00 store credit. 
• Send your thermostat back to the manufacturer in the mail.

Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Recycle your compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL) at a retail location. 

• Recycle your bulbs through your town’s municipal solid waste collection system.
• Recycling your compact fluorescent bulbs(CFL) at a retail location.
• Find a location on this list of all towns and retail locations that accept mercury-containing bulbs.

Use DEP’s map to find out where to bring your mercury-containing fluorescent bulbs.

Electronic Waste

Recycle your electronic waste (e-waste) for little or no cost at more than 300 municipal waste collection sites. Most towns accept televisions, portable DVD players, game consoles, computer monitors, laptops, printers, digital picture frames, computers, and some other electronics. Find out more about the problems and solutions posed by electronic waste. Take certain devices to Best Buy or Staples. Or use DEP’s map feature to find where to bring your electronic waste.

Unused Paint

Maine residents can choose from more than 80 convenient locations to drop off unused paint, preventing more than 200,000 cans from being improperly disposed of in landfills and incinerators each year. This saves millions of dollars for Maine municipalities that no longer have the sole responsibility of managing all of the unused paint. Learn more about paint stewardship.

Unused Drugs  

This program requires the pharmaceutical industry to fund and create a reliable, sustainable, and convenient statewide pharmacy collection program for unused drugs in Maine. The bill was passed into law in June 2021.

View an interactive map of drop-off locations and what medicines you can dispose of. Please do not flush your unused drugs. 

Packaging  

The EPR for Packaging program will shift the costs of recycling packaging waste from Maine’s property taxpayers to packaging producers. It is not yet in effect, as the program’s details are being managed through an administrative rulemaking process.

About Maine’s EPR Policy Approach 

Maine has developed a systematic way to tackle our most problematic waste streams using EPR. Each year, our Department of Environmental Protection reports to the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources on the status of each of our EPR laws, and tees up potential new product categories for consideration by the Legislature.  

Maine’s product stewardship law set a clear policy and process for methodically moving more product categories into an EPR system if they meet just one of these five following criteria: 

• It contains toxins that pose the risk of adverse impact on the environment or public health and safety. 
• A stewardship program that will increase the recovery of the material for reuse and recycling.
• A stewardship program that will reduce costs for local governments and taxpayers.
• There is a proven track record of success for stewardship programs in other states or countries. 
• Existing voluntary programs are not effective enough.