Waste Management & Recycling Program

Waste Management Hierarchy

In 2005 it was calculated that Maine residents and businesses generated just over 1.6 million tons of trash - which amounts to about 6.8 pounds of garbage produced by each person each day. This is nearly 2,500 pounds of trash per person per year! Maine's solid waste management hierarchy is a priority list of how we should appropriately deal with all of this waste, with the goal of reducing the amount of waste needing to be landfilled. This hierarchy was adopted by the Maine Legislature in 1989.
For more information on the hierarchy and the policy click here: MRSA 38 §2101