Maine Bag Ban, Fee & EPR Rules
Verified: July 29, 2026
Bag Ban Status
Statewide bag ban: active statewide ban on single-use plastic carryout bags. Recycled paper bags and reusable bags — including reusable plastic bags at least 4 mils thick (38 M.R.S. §1611(1)(G)(3)) — remain permitted with a mandatory charge. Retail and grocery; small bags exempt. Apparel/general retail covered.
Plastic Bag Restrictions
Plastic carryout bags: single-use plastic bags banned statewide; reusable plastic bags at least 4 mils thick permitted with the $0.05 minimum charge (38 M.R.S. §1611).
Paper Bag Requirements
$0.05 state minimum fee per recycled paper bag (the same minimum charge also applies to reusable plastic bags provided at checkout, 38 M.R.S. §1611(3)).
Recycled Content (PCR)
Recycled paper carryout bags with a capacity of 8 pounds or more must contain at least 20% post-consumer recycled content (38 M.R.S. §1611).
Fees & Taxation
$0.05 per paper carryout bag (state minimum); the same minimum charge also applies to reusable plastic bags provided at checkout (38 M.R.S. §1611(3)(A)). Restaurants are exempt from the mandatory charge — 38 M.R.S. §1611(3)(B)(2): the ≥$0.05 minimum on recycled paper and reusable plastic bags does not apply to restaurants, though a voluntary charge is permitted. The single-use plastic bag ban itself still applies to restaurants (§1611(1)(F) includes restaurants as retail establishments). Store-level small-store exemption — 38 M.R.S. §1611(3)(B)(1): the mandatory charge does not apply at any store at which less than 2% of retail sales are attributed to food AND that has less than 10,000 square feet of retail area (both conditions required); qualifying stores may charge voluntarily. The single-use plastic bag ban and the 20% PCR requirement for large recycled paper bags still apply regardless.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
EPR for Packaging — enacted, in implementation. Statute: LD 1541 / 38 MRSA Sec 2146. Stewardship Organization not yet selected: Maine DEP issued the SO Request for Proposals on June 15, 2026 after repeated delays. Previously planned May 2026 producer registration/reporting and July 2026 initial invoicing have slipped; first municipal reimbursements are now expected fall 2027. Producers should monitor for SO designation before treating reporting/payment obligations as active.
Local Ordinances
None significant.
Key Dates
First reporting date 2026-05-31 has slipped pending SO selection (not an active deadline; DEP issued the SO RFP 2026-06-15). Full implementation: 2027 expected (first municipal reimbursements expected fall 2027).