An Act To Encourage the Use of Alternatives to Single-use Plastic Disposable Bags
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 0396
Committee: Environment and Natural Resources
Sponsors: COOPER, BEAVERS, GRATWICK
Amends: 38 MRSA §1605

Legislative Document 
No. 396 
H.P. 262 
House of Representatives, February 12, 2015 
An Act To Encourage the Use of Alternatives to Single-use Plastic 
Disposable Bags 
Reference to the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources suggested and ordered 
printed. 
ROBERT B. HUNT 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative COOPER of Yarmouth. 
Cosponsored by Representative: BEAVERS of South Berwick, Senator: GRATWICK of 
Penobscot. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  38 MRSA §1605, as repealed and replaced by PL 1991, c. 475, §1, is 
repealed. 
Sec. 2.  38 MRSA §§1605-A and 1605-B are enacted to read: 
§1605-A.  Plastic bags 
1.  Definitions.  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings. 
A.  "Plastic" means an organic or petroleum-derivative synthetic or semisynthetic 
organic solid that is moldable. 
B.  "Retailer" means a person that offers consumer goods for sale at retail in the State. 
C.  "Reusable bag" means a bag with handles that is specifically designed and 
manufactured for multiple reuse and is made of cloth, fiber, other machine-washable 
fabric or durable plastic. 
D.  "Single-use plastic disposable bag" means a bag made from plastic and designed 
for one-time use to carry consumer goods in a retail transaction.  "Single-use plastic 
disposable bag" does not include: 
(1)  Plastic bags used by consumers inside stores to package bulk items, such as 
fruit, vegetables, nuts, grains, candy or small hardware items; to contain or wrap 
frozen foods, meat or fish, whether prepackaged or not; to contain or wrap 
flowers, potted plants or other items where dampness may be a problem; and to 
contain unwrapped prepared foods or bakery goods; 
(2)  Plastic bags provided by pharmacists to contain prescription drugs; or 
(3)  Plastic newspaper bags, door-hanger bags, laundry or dry-cleaning bags or 
bags sold in packages containing multiple bags intended for use as garbage, pet 
waste or yard waste bags. 
2.  Use of plastic bags by retailer.  A retailer may not use single-use plastic 
disposable bags at the point of retail sale, or otherwise make single-use plastic disposable 
bags available to customers, unless the following provisions are met: 
A.  The single-use plastic disposable bags are 100% recyclable, display the phrase 
"Please recycle this bag" or a substantially similar phrase in a highly visible manner 
on the bag exterior and are made of high-density polyethylene film marked with the 
Society of the Plastics Industry resin identification code 2 or low-density 
polyethylene film marked with the Society of the Plastics Industry resin identification 
code 4, or such standards as are established by a successor organization; 
B.  The retailer locates inside the retailer's store or within 20 feet of the main entrance 
to the store a receptacle for collecting any used single-use plastic disposable bags and 
ensures that the bags collected are recycled or delivered to a person engaged in 
recycling plastics; and 
C.  The retailer collects a fee as required by subsection 3. 
3.  Plastic bag fee and carryout program.  A retailer shall collect a fee of 5¢ from a 
customer for each single-use plastic disposable bag distributed to the customer at the 
point of retail sale.  The retailer: 
A.  Retains 1¢ of each 5¢ fee to cover administrative costs, except as provided in 
paragraph B. 
B.  In addition to the amount retained under paragraph A, may elect to retain 1¢ of 
each 5¢ fee, for a total of 2¢ retained of each 5¢ fee collected, to implement and 
support a carryout program that credits a customer no less than 5¢ for each bag 
provided by the customer at the point of retail sale for packaging purchases, 
regardless of whether the bag is paper, plastic or reusable material.  The retailer has 
the sole discretion of determining the amount of the credit due to a customer at the 
point of retail sale; and 
C.  Shall provide an itemized sales receipt documenting the amount of the fee paid by 
a customer or, if applicable, the carryout program credit under paragraph B.  The 
retailer shall prominently display at each point of retail sale a sign describing the fee 
required under this subsection and, if applicable, the carryout program. 
The retailer shall document all fees collected under this subsection on a form determined 
by the commissioner and on a monthly basis submit to the department the completed 
form and fees collected, less the fee portions retained under paragraph A and, if 
applicable, under paragraph B.  Fees remitted to the department under this subsection 
must be credited to the Plastics Recycling Fund established in section 1605-B. 
The assessment of a fee under this subsection is not considered a sale of tangible personal 
property or taxable services under Title 36, section 1811, and the fees retained by the 
retailer are not considered revenue and are considered tax-exempt under Title 36, Part 8. 
4.  Paper and reusable bags.  A retailer may provide recyclable paper bags to bag 
products at the point of sale.  A retailer shall provide reusable bags for purchase by a 
customer. 
5.  Enforcement and penalties for violation.  If the commissioner determines that a 
retailer has violated this section, the commissioner shall initiate an enforcement action 
pursuant to section 347-A to recover any unpaid fees required under subsection 3 and 
may impose an additional penalty on the retailer consistent with section 349.  No more 
than one penalty may be imposed upon a retailer within a 7-day period.  Revenues 
collected by the department from penalties assessed under this subsection must be 
credited to the Plastics Recycling Fund established in section 1605-B. 
6.  Rules.  The department may adopt rules to implement the provisions of this 
section.  Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined 
in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
§1605-B.  Plastics Recycling Fund 
The Plastics Recycling Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is established 
within the department for the purpose of promoting recycling efforts related to plastics, 
including establishing statewide or county programs to promote plastics recycling and to 
educate the public about plastics recycling and about the benefits of the alternate use of 
reusable bags and establishing other programs that carry out the purposes of the fund as 
determined by the commissioner.  Revenues in the fund may also be used to provide 
reusable bags to residents of the State, with priority distribution to elderly and low-
income residents.  The commissioner shall administer the fund.  The fund is funded from 
fees collected under section 1605-A, subsection 3.  Any unexpended money in the fund 
may not lapse, but must be carried forward to the next fiscal year.  Revenues in the fund 
must be used for carrying out the purposes of the fund after reasonable costs for the 
administration of the fund by the department are deducted. 
Sec. 3.  Department of Environmental Protection; public information and 
outreach campaigns.  By January 1, 2016, the Department of Environmental 
Protection shall develop and conduct an intensive public information campaign aimed at 
educating the public on the importance of reducing the number of single-use plastic 
disposable bags entering the waste stream and the impact of such bags on the 
environmental health of the State.  By January 1, 2016, the department shall develop and 
implement an outreach campaign that includes a public-private partnership to provide 
reusable bags to residents of the State and, working with service providers that assist 
elderly and low-income residents, to distribute information and reusable bags to elderly 
and low-income households.  The department may use funds in the Plastics Recycling 
Fund established under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 38, section 1605-B to cover the 
costs of developing and implementing these campaigns. 
SUMMARY 
This bill requires a retailer to assess a 5¢ fee for a single-use plastic disposable bag 
distributed to a customer at the point of retail sale.  The retailer retains 1¢ from each 5¢ 
fee for administrative costs and may elect to retain an additional 1¢ from each 5¢ fee to 
provide a carryout program that credits a customer no less than 5¢ for each bag provided 
by the customer at the point of retail sale for packaging purchases.  The revenues from 
the fee, less the portion retained by the retailer for administrative costs and, if applicable, 
the carryout program, are credited to the Plastics Recycling Fund administered by the 
Department of Environmental Protection for the purpose of promoting recycling efforts in 
the State related to plastics.  A retailer may provide recyclable paper products at the point 
of sale and must provide reusable bags for purchase by a customer.  This bill authorizes 
the Department of Environmental Protection to enforce these laws and impose penalties 
for violations.  This bill also directs that, by January 1, 2016, the Department of 
Environmental Protection must conduct a public information campaign relating to plastics 
and their impact on the environment and must implement an outreach campaign aimed at 
providing reusable bags to residents of the State, especially to elderly and low-income 
households.