SEATTLE (Recycling Monster): The new study report, published by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), indicates that the state sent more waste to landfills during the pandemic years.

It also notes that Maine is still far away from reaching its recycling goal of 50% of waste set earlier in 1989. The state has pushed forward the target date several times. Incidentally, the state has not been penalized for not meeting the recycling rate as promised.

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Surprisingly, the recycling rates declined by around 5% in 2021, in comparison with 2017. The estimated recycling rate dropped from 38.1 percent in 2017 to 33.7 percent in 2021. The trash received by state’s landfills totalled 903,660 tons in 2021, significantly higher from the volume of 721,646 tons in 2017. The increased numbers may be partly attributed to the pandemic, the report said.

It must be noted that Maine had passed a law to restrict the amount of out-of-state trash that ends up in state landfills. Additionally, it had implemented a ban on single-use plastic bags and Styrofoam food containers. These measures are likely to yield results in the forthcoming years.

The report calls for comprehensive larger level actions to address the issue. The implementation of the Extended Producer Responsibility Program for Packaging will play a key role.