Dive Brief:

• A bill in the Maine Legislature calls for an end to the acceptance of large drink containers in the deposit program.
• Legislature Document 1204 would remove beverage containers 32 ounces in size and larger from the program, while simultaneously establishing the Maine Recycling Fund, financed from fees charging manufacturers and distributors to pay for every container they distributed. 
• The fees would be collected starting in December 2016 until December 2022; the project is expected to produce up to $400,000 per year for the recycling fund. 

Dive Insight:

If passed, the bill would go into effect on Dec. 1, 2016. A majority of the funds collected would go toward diverting organics from the waste stream. In addition, the revenue generated would establish a Recycling Public Advisory Council that would advise program creation, suggest funding awards and have outreach.