Bill
LD 1065
Beginning July 1, 2029, food waste generators must stop disposing of food waste at landfills or incinerators and divert it to recycling or other lawful uses.
Status: Became law without the Governor’s signature (June 24, 2025)
Introduced: March 18, 2025
Committee: Environment and Natural Resources
Amendment: Engrossed as amended by Committee Amendment “A” (S‑279)
Purpose
- To reduce the amount of food waste sent to incinerators and landfills by requiring food waste generators to stop disposing of food waste in those facilities and to promote recycling/diversion of food organics.
Key provisions and requirements
- Prohibition on disposal: Beginning July 1, 2029, food waste generators are prohibited from disposing of food waste at incineration facilities or landfills.
- Implementation responsibility: The Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is charged with implementing the program (including related program oversight, compliance and administration activities implied by the fiscal note).
- Administrative changes: DEP plans to reclassify and reallocate staff to carry out implementation (details below).
- Legislative process: The bill was reported out of committee (OTP‑AM), amended, passed by both chambers (concurrence), and enacted without the Governor’s signature.
Who is affected
- Food waste generators: businesses, institutions, and other entities that currently send food waste to landfills or incinerators will need to divert that material to recycling/composting, donation, anaerobic digestion, or other lawful alternatives.
- Solid waste facilities: landfill and incineration operators will receive less food waste stream material.
- Organics processors/collectors and municipalities: likely to see increased demand for collection, processing, and organics infrastructure (the bill text provided does not specify funding or mandates for these entities).
- Department of Environmental Protection: will staff and manage the program.
Fiscal and administrative impacts
- DEP staffing reorganization: anticipate reclassifying one Environmental Specialist III to IV in FY 2027‑28 and reallocating two Environmental Specialist III positions plus one Planning & Research Associate II in FY 2028‑29 to support implementation.
- Additional Other Special Revenue Funds needed: $11,511 in FY 2027‑28 and $17,865 in FY 2028‑29. No additional cost shown for FY 2025‑26 and FY 2026‑27 in the fiscal notes.
Timeline / procedural notes
- Effective prohibition date: July 1, 2029.
- Legislative action highlights: introduced March 18, 2025; amended and passed in June 2025; enacted June 24, 2025 without governor’s signature.
Notes and limits
- The summary is based on available legislative and fiscal documents. Specific operational requirements for diversion (e.g., detailed compliance rules, exemptions, thresholds, enforcement mechanisms, or support for organics infrastructure) are not included in the documents provided and would be found in the bill text or DEP implementing guidance.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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