Bottle Bill – Maine

Under Maine’s beverage container redemption program, manufacturers, distributors or sellers of bottled/canned beverages begin the process collecting the appropriate deposit fee (five cents or fifteen cents) for every beverage container subject to this program which is sold in the State. Beverage retailers pass this cost onto the consumer at time of purchase by charging that deposit fee.

The “Initiator of Deposit” must register containers with the Department of Revenue.

Resources:

• Title 38, Chapter 33: Manufacturers, Distributors and Dealers of Beverage Containers
• Chapter 426, Responsibilities under the Returnable Beverage Container Law
• Maine’s Beverage Container Redemption Program Forms & Guidance

Is wine included in the bottle bill?

• Yes

Are wine (coolers) products or wine-based ready-to-drink beverages included in the bottle bill?

• Yes

Definitions: 

• “Beverage” means beer, ale or other drink produced by fermenting malt, spirits, wine, hard cider, wine coolers, soda or noncarbonated water and all nonalcoholic carbonated or noncarbonated drinks in liquid form and intended for internal human consumption, except for unflavored rice milk, unflavored soymilk, milk and dairy-derived products.
• “Wine” has the same meaning as in Title 28‑A, section 2, subsection 36, except that, for the purposes of this chapter, “wine” does not include wine coolers.
• “Wine cooler” means a beverage of less than 8% alcohol content by volume consisting of wine and plain, sparkling or carbonated water; and any one or more of the following: fruit juices, fruit adjuncts, artificial or natural flavors or flavorings, preservatives, coloring; or any other natural or artificial blending material.

Are wine containers included in the bottle bill?

• Yes

Are wine cooler containers included in the bottle bill?

• Yes

Definition:

•  “Beverage container” means a bottle, can, jar or other container made of glass, metal or plastic that has been sealed by a manufacturer and at the time of sale contains 4 liters or less of a beverage. “Beverage container” does not include a container composed, in whole or in part, of aluminum and plastic or aluminum and paper in combination as long as the aluminum content represents 10% or less of the unfilled container weight, the container materials represent 5% or less of the total weight of the container and its contents and the container is filled with a nonalcoholic beverage. “Beverage container” does not include a container composed of cardboard in combination with a plastic liner.

Are wine containers shipped directly to consumers in Maine included in the bottle bill?

• Wine containers sold under a Direct Wine Shipper License are exempt through June 30, 2025. Note that Maine’s DTC law prohibits the direct shipment of wine coolers.
• All direct shippers will be required to comply with the existing bottle bill as of July 1, 2025.  This will include signing up with a comingling cooperative/pick up agent, charging the consumer the deposit (15 cents), and paying a handling fee (6 cents).

Resources: 

• 2023 LD 846 (HB 535) signed 6/22/23, effective 7/1/25 – Requires direct wine shippers to comply with Maine beverage container laws; repeals law that provides that wine shipped does not require a refund value for beverage container control purposes; requires compliance with beverage container laws.

For Wine and Spirit Products with labeling that does not include the required refund value, the Initiator of Deposit shall ensure that a Department-approved sticker that clearly identifies the Initiator of Deposit and the deposit/refund value is affixed to the Product container. Prior to the sale of a Wine or Spirit container to which a separate sticker stating the refund value is to be affixed, the Initiator of Deposit shall submit a sample of the sticker to the Department for approval. Approval will be based on the readability, suitability, and durability of the sticker. The Initiator of Deposit on other Liquor Products, other than Products in metal beverage containers, may seek approval to affix an approved refund value sticker to their Product for a limited time to allow product sale in Maine until the Product label can be modified to include the Maine deposit/refund value.

With the exception of Wine products, all beverage containers sold in the State of Maine must bear a UPC or EAN that is unique to each combination of Beverage brand, container Type, Size and flavor. Malt liquors of the same Beverage brand may utilize one UPC for EAN for their seasonal products in the same container type and size.

What are the CRV fees?

• a 15¢ refundable deposit on spirits and wine beverage containers
• a 5¢ refundable deposit on beer, hard cider, wine coolers, soda, or noncarbonated water beverage containers, and alcoholic or noncarbonated drinks sold in the State.

What is the handling fee?

• 2023 SB 73 (LD 134) signed into law 5/5/2023, effective immediately: increased the statutorily set handling fee paid to redemption centers by beverage manufacturers from 4.5 cents per container to 5.5. cents immediately, and then up to 6 cents on 9/1/23.