MFPC Deputy Director Ellen Parent testified before the Board of Environmental Protection on October 16 on the the draft Packaging Material Types List for the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging program.
This list will be used to determine whether materials are considered “readily recyclable”, “compostable” or “reusable” under the Extended Producer Responsibility program for the purpose of assigning fees.
Maine’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Packaging law, enacted in 2021, requires packaging producers to fund the cost of managing packaging waste, shifting the financial burden from municipalities to producers. The law, which will take effect in 2026 and 2027 with initial producer payments and recycling funds, aims to reduce waste and increase recyclability by incentivizing companies to use less and more sustainable packaging through a fee-based system.
MFPC’s comments encouraged the Department to continue the dialogue with stakeholders and asks for several small changes to encourage the use of paper based products for packaging