Maine DEP Publishes a Fixed Annual Compliance Calendar, Plus a $500 Per Ton Flat Fee for Low-Volume Producers

Maine DEP's EPR program page now carries a fixed annual schedule: producer reporting May 31, producer invoicing July 1, producer payment September 1, and municipal reimbursement October 1. DEP places the program at step four of nine, contracting a Stewardship Organization, and states that producers register within 90 days of the SO making a registration mechanism available. DEP anticipates registration and invoicing beginning at the end of 2026, with municipal reimbursements possibly starting at the end of 2027. Two further details worth noting: Chapter 428 was amended in March 2026 to add Appendix A, The Packaging Material Types List; and low-volume producers may use a simplified reporting process and pay a flat fee of $500 per ton of packaging material rather than reporting material by material. Maine remains pre-operational, so these are dates to plan against rather than obligations that have started. Source: Maine DEP.