Packaging Stakeholder Meeting - Schedule and Producer Exemptions Planning.

The Department of Environmental Protection (the Department) has scheduled the stakeholder meetings addressing rulemaking topics for the Stewardship Program for Packaging Law, 38 M.R.S. § 2146.  The Department is scheduled to submit draft rules to the Board of Environmental Protection for the initiation of the formal rulemaking process in December 2023.

The schedule for stakeholder meetings is as follows:

I.  Producer exemptions – December 2022

• Meeting 1: Thursday, December 8^th from 1:00 to 5:00 pm EST
  • To RSVP to this meeting, use this link: EPR-Exemptions-#1 Stakeholder Meeting Registration Form
• Meeting 2: Thursday, December 22^nd from 1:00 to 5:00 pm EST
  • To RSVP to this meeting, use this link: EPR-Exemptions-#2 Stakeholder Meeting Registration
• Focus-meeting (tentative): Tuesday, January 17^th from 1:00 to 5:00 pm EST

II.  Municipal reimbursement – January 2023

• Meeting 1: Tuesday, January 10^th, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm EST
  • To RSVP to this meeting, use this link: EPR-Reimbursements-#1 Stakeholder Meeting Registration
• Meeting 2: Tuesday, January 24^th, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm EST
  • To RSVP to this meeting, use this link: EPR-Reimbursements-#2 Stakeholder Meeting Registration
• Focus-meeting (tentative): Tuesday, February 14^th from 1:00 to 5:00 pm EST

RSVP links for meetings after this topic will be provided in future newsletters and be made available for access from the EPR for packaging website.

III.   Recyclability, auditing, and program performance – March 2023

• Meeting 1: Tuesday, March 14^th, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm EDT
• Meeting 2: Tuesday, March 28^th, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm EDT
• Focus-meeting (tentative): Tuesday, April 11^th, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm EDT

IV.  Education and investment – May 2023

• Meeting 1: Tuesday, May 9^th, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm EDT
• Meeting 2: Tuesday, May 23^rd, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm EDT
• Focus-meeting (tentative): Tuesday, June 13^th, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm EDT

V.  Payments and reporting – July 2023

• Meeting 1: Tuesday, July 11^th, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm EDT
• Meeting 2: Tuesday, July 25^th, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm EDT
• Focus-meeting (tentative): Tuesday, August 8^th, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm EDT

For all topics, Meeting 1 will provide an opportunity for stakeholders to provide information and their perspective on the topic and Meeting 2 will allow for discussion of issues raised during Meeting 1.  The Department is anticipating the need of an additional meeting for each topic to provide in depth discussion of specific issues.  Therefore, for planning purposes, one focus meeting has been tentatively scheduled for each topic.  Links to RSVP for tentative meetings will be provided on an as-need basis.

Background information will be made available prior to the first meeting scheduled for a topic. The background information for all topics will be made accessible on the Department’s EPR for packaging website and emailed to the Department’s stakeholder list when available.

The Department requires those planning to attend a stakeholder meeting to RSVP using the links provided above (or in future newsletters for meetings scheduled after February 2023). All stakeholder meetings will be held in person and virtually; all participants, regardless of whether they are attending in person or virtually via Teams, will be able to comment.  If you plan to attend a meeting virtually, you will receive the link to the virtual meeting after you RSVP using the registration link above. For stakeholders attending meetings in person, meetings will be held in room 101 of the Deering Building located at 90 Blossom Lane, Augusta, Maine 04330.  The Departments asks stakeholders who plan to present comments during the first meeting for any topic to provide a written copy of the comment by emailing MainePackagingEPR@maine.gov. This will ensure that comments are recorded wholly and accurately in the case that time to present them during the meeting is limited.

Thank you for your interest and participation. Please continue to direct questions and concerns to MainePackagingEPR@maine.gov.