Maine Tries to Shift Some Recycling Costs onto Companies

Trenton, Maine has either cut back or closed their recycling operations. Now with all recycling going in the trash, lawmakers are trying to make Maine the first state in the country to shift some recycling costs onto companies, not taxpayers. If the bipartisan bill passes, Maine will join several Canadian provinces, and all European countries on extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs for packaging. These programs for packaging, which accounts for about 40 percent of the municipal waste stream, have worked well in other countries. 

Some Maine communities are paying a premium to continue recycling programs by shipping materials to Portland, while others are devising ways to process and sell recyclable materials. 

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