Maine

Sarah Nichols served as the Chief Author of LD 1541, Maine’s EPR Law and the first EPR for packaging law passed in the United States. Senator Nicole Grohoski was a significant contributor to Maine’s law and is an expert on state environmental policy.

Recommendations for Policymakers Developing Circular Policy & EPR for Packaging Policies:

1. Make Sure Key EPR Allies Agree on the Policy Approach: Be sure to invest the time necessary to work through policy differences among your coalition partners so that you all agree on the language and strategy before the campaign really gets into motion. This work will help avoid public disagreements that could undermine your prospects for success.

2. Prioritize Municipal Outreach and Support: In Maine, it’s the municipal governments and local property taxpayers who pay for recycling right now. Thus, Maine taxpayers stand to benefit the most from EPR because it will save them money and help improve a public service that residents want—recycling! These municipal voices were some of the most effective messengers during our campaign. It may not be municipalities that pay for recycling in your state, so find out who is paying now and let them know help is on the way. Be sure they understand how important it is for them to make their voices heard to make that happen.

3. Reach Out to Local Businesses Early: Unfortunately, associations representing some business interests in Maine weren’t interested in engaging early with us to find solutions to key issues and instead rallied their members to oppose the law. At the public hearing, much of the small business/retail opposition was based on misunderstandings of how the law would apply to them. Having more resources and earlier outreach to individual small businesses before the public hearing would have really helped. Opponents to this policy will try to make lawmakers and the media believe it is a choice between supporting municipalities or local business, but this is a false choice. Help local businesses understand how they may or may not be impacted, and be prepared to specifically address their concern. For instance, it’s likely that the small business exemption and low, flat fee-paying category will make up the majority of the local businesses. You can point out that the cost per container is usually fractions of a penny, with opportunities to reduce fees through changing their packaging. Identify supportive businesses and business owners and bring them into your coalition. In Maine, we had several businesses testify in favor of the law.

Resources:

Sarah developed her own Top 10 Tips and Lessons Learned for EPR after her work helping pass EPR for packaging in Maine. We narrowed them down to three for this guide.