Maine Municipal Opt-In Runs Near 18 Percent as Stewardship Organization Selection Proceeds

Update update, July 20, 2026. Part of the EPR Atlas weekly packaging EPR update log.

EPR fee calculator → Full EPR Atlas hub

Free. Updated weekly. No login required.

Facts on this page were last verified against primary sources on July 26, 2026. The EPR Atlas is re-checked weekly; this stamp moves only when a verification pass actually runs, not when the site rebuilds.

Update  |  ME  |  July 20, 2026

Maine DEP survey data shows roughly 80 municipalities, about 18 percent of the state's total and including Portland and South Portland, have indicated they will participate in the packaging EPR program. Twenty declined and the majority did not respond. DEP's tracker places the program at step four of nine, contracting with a Stewardship Organization, with producer registration and invoicing anticipated by the end of 2026 and municipal reimbursements potentially beginning by the end of 2027. Because producer fees fund municipal reimbursement, participation levels are a direct signal on the size of the Maine cost base in year one. Proposals in response to DEP's Stewardship Organization RFP remain due August 3, 2026. Source: Bangor Daily News (July 20, 2026).

Where this sits

This entry is part of the EPR Atlas weekly update log. Every week the Atlas checks the seven enacted states, the pending and early-stage states, the federal bills, active litigation, and agency rulemaking, then publishes what actually changed. See the full update archive or the live hub.

← Minnesota Opens Packaging EPR Rulemaking; First Comment Wi CAA Webinar Calendar: California Fee-Setting August 5, Ore →