HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-05-10 21-185 Resolve
05/10/202121-185
05/10/2021
21-185
City Manager
Resolve
N/A
Title, Resolve
Supporting Efforts for Recycling Reform in Maine
This Resolve was requested by SEED, a Bangor High School based environmental group, to support
local and state-wide efforts to reform recycling in Maine by implementing an extended-producer
responsibility for packaging in Maine. This law, similar to a law in Canada and other countries,
requires producers of packaging to participate in the cost of recycling the packaging. Since the
1980s, responsibility for recycling has fallen largely to individuals and municipalities that collect
recycling. In recent years, costs for recycling has increased dramatically as other countries have
restricted the importation of recycling materials from the US. This has resulted in a dramatic
increase in costs of recycling and a decrease in the types of materials that can be recycled.
Implementation of such laws are designed to incentivize companies to decrease the amount of
packaging, decrease property taxpayer support to recycle, and increase funding to municipalities for
recycling.
Government Operations Committee
05/03/2021
Recommend for passage
New Business
05/10/202121-185
CITY OF BANGOR RESOLVE
05/10/2021
21-185
Nichols
Supporting Efforts for Recycling Reform in Maine
WHEREAS, Maine's communities are struggling to maintain, expand, and in some cases are eliminating
recycling programs due to rising costs and difficult-to-manage materials, and;
WHEREAS, product packaging, which includes plastic, metal, glass, and cardboard, constitutes approximately
30-40% of the materials managed by weight in Maine's municipal waste management programs, and;
WHEREAS, Maine taxpayers currently unfairly bear 100% of the cost and pay an estimated $16 million to $17
million each year to finance the management of this material through fragmented and increasingly expensive
disposal or recycling options, and;
WHEREAS, producers of product packaging have little incentive to minimize wasteful packaging or increase
access to recycling; and there is no organized coordination between the producers of packaging and
municipalities that are responsible for disposing of or recycling the packaging materials, and;
WHEREAS, producers of products packaging have taken some or all responsibility for the management of
post-consumer packaging in other parts of the world and, as a result, have greatly increased recycling rates,
expanded infrastructure investment, created jobs, and reduced taxpayer costs;
Be it Resolved by the City Council of the City of Bangor that,
The City of Council of the City of Bangor support an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging
law. We believe that this policy will work to make recycling in Maine more effective, more sustainable, and
more equitable.
MAY 10,2021
CO 21-185
Motion made and seconded for Passage
Vote: 8—0
Councilors Voting Yes: Davitt,Dubay,Fournier,Nichols, Okafor, Schaefer, Sprague,.Tremble
Councilors Voting No: None
Passed
CITY CLE