Municipal Recycling Progress Report

Municipalities are required to report to Maine DEP every two years on their solid waste management and recycling practices (38 M.R.S. § 2133.7). Municipalities can use the information from this report to assess their progress toward achieving a Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) recycling rate of 50%. This 50% is a statewide goal, not a municipal-specific goal. However, decisions and actions on the local level contribute to the overall statewide MSW recycling rate.

The next biennial recycling progress report is due April 30, 2027 and will require solid waste management information from your municipality for calendar years 2025 and 2026.

The Department will be implementing a new online licensing and reporting system, known as MELS. This online resource will be used to submit the next Biennial Recycling Progress Report. More instructions and emails regarding the report will be sent in the future closer to the report’s due date. This will be the preferred method of reporting for the foreseeable future. If you have any questions about MELS, please see the supporting resources at the MELS Hub. If you haven’t completed the municipal recycling progress report for the years 2023 and 2024, please see below.

Please note that this biennial municipal recycling progress report is separate from the annual reports submitted to DEP by permitted solid waste facilities such as transfer stations. Submission of this biennial report is required by all Maine municipalities and this report does not meet the annual reporting requirement for permitted facilities including transfer stations. More information on annual facility reporting is available on our Forms and Fees webpage.

Download the 2023 and 2024 Calendar Year Biennial Municipal Recycling Report form by clicking on the link below to the Excel spreadsheet form, which you can save to your computer and submit via email when done. Instructions for completing and submitting the form are available within the form itself.

2023-2024 Municipal Recycling Report form (Excel Spreadsheet)

Download Excel (offsite - Microsoft)
Excel support (offsite - Microsoft)

Resources for Regional Solid Waste Facilities
Regional solid waste facilities are an important source of information for Maine municipalities working on their recycling progress reports.  The documents below are intended to help regional solid waste facilities provide municipalities with better data on their solid waste management. 

  • The “Regional Facilities Apportioning MSW” spreadsheet may be used to quickly and easily divide up the total tons of MSW trash and recycling managed by your facility amongst the municipalities that use the facility based on population.  This allows facilities to provide municipalities with a rough estimate of their MSW trash and recycling tonnage. 
  • Detailed instructions for apportioning solid waste activities based on population, property values, and other factors are provided in the “Regional Solid Waste Facility Guidance” document. 
  • The “Hauler Data Request” document provides another option for collecting data on where the materials delivered to a facility were generated.

Contact

Please contact Courtney Hafner (207) 314-3357 for assistance with municipal recycling progress reports.