The LD 1631 Act to Provide Leadership Regarding the Responsible Recycling of Consumer Products puts the responsibility of managing products’ end-of-life on the producer.
More commonly known as the producer responsibility framework law, it establishes a process for creating product stewardship programs for hard-to-recycle products and packaging.
This moves the physical and financial responsibility for managing old products from the general taxpayer to producers, consumers and others who benefit from products sold and used.
It has been commended by the Product Policy Institute (PPI), which developed model framework producer responsibility legislation that was the starting point for Maine and several other states.
In the US, 19 states now have laws for discarded electronic products that require producers to finance or manage collection and responsible recycling.
Rep Melissa Walsh Innes sponsored the law, she said: “Mainers can be proud of their business leaders and legislators for coming together to pass this unprecedented producer responsibility framework law. We are the first to enact a comprehensive producer responsibility law which addresses the economic and environmental impacts to Maine of product waste.”
President of the Maine Chamber of Commerce Dana Connors said: “LD 1631 establishes a simple and reasonable framework for identifying products appropriate for product stewardship, along with ways to improve existing product stewardship programs already on the books in Maine.”
Executive Director of PPI Bill Sheehan said: “Maine’s historic action adopting a producer responsibility framework indicates that this is the right approach to deal with the recycling waste products and packaging instead of a product-by-product approach. It’s now time for stakeholders in other states to work together to build on this victory and follow suit.”
Producer responsibility legislation for a range of products and packaging has been introduced in the last four years in 32 state legislatures.
PPI has been leading the producer responsibility movement by setting the goal of a comprehensive policy approach, and by helping local and state government officials and other stakeholders work effectively to support the new policy approach.
The institute helped local governments organize Product Stewardship Councils in California, Texas, New York and Vermont. The councils serve as hubs that bring together all stakeholders to develop sustainable solutions based on the producer responsibility principle.