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An Act To Reduce Truck Travel Caused by the Bottle Redemption Laws
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 32 MRSA §1866, sub-§5, as amended by PL 2003, c. 499, §7, is further amended to read:
 
5. Obligation to pick up containers.   The obligation to pick up beverage containers subject to this chapter is determined as follows.
 
A. A distributor that initiates the deposit under section 1863-A, subsection 2 or 4 has the obligation to pick up any empty, unbroken and reasonably clean beverage containers of the particular kind, size and brand sold by the distributor from dealers to whom that distributor has sold those beverages and from licensed redemption centers designated to serve those dealers pursuant to an order entered under section 1867. A distributor that, within this State, sells beverages under a particular label exclusively to one dealer, which dealer offers those labeled beverages for sale at retail exclusively at the dealer's establishment, shall pick up any empty, unbroken and reasonably clean beverage containers of the kind, size and brand sold by the distributor to the dealer only from those licensed redemption centers that serve the various establishments of the dealer, under an order entered under section 1867. A dealer that manufactures its own beverages for exclusive sale by that dealer at retail has the obligation of a distributor under this section. The commissioner may establish by rule, in accordance with the Maine Administrative Procedure Act, criteria prescribing the manner in which distributors shall fulfill the obligations imposed by this paragraph. The rules may establish a minimum number or value of containers below which a distributor is not required to respond to a request to pick up empty containers. Any rules promulgated under this paragraph must allocate the burdens associated with the handling, storage and transportation of empty containers to prevent unreasonable financial or other hardship.
 
B. The initiator of the deposit under section 1863-A, subsection 3 has the obligation to pick up any empty, unbroken and reasonably clean beverage containers of the particular kind, size and brand sold by the initiator from dealers to whom a distributor has sold those beverages and from licensed redemption centers designated to serve those dealers pursuant to an order entered under section 1867. The obligation may be fulfilled by the initiator directly or indirectly through a contracted agent.
 
C. An initiator of the deposit under section 1863-A, subsection 2, 3 or 4 has the obligation to pick up any empty, unbroken and reasonably clean beverage containers that are commingled pursuant to a commingling agreement along with any beverage containers that the initiator is otherwise obligated to pick up pursuant to paragraphs A and B.
 
The obligation of the initiator of the deposit under this subsection may be fulfilled by the initiator directly or through a party with which it has entered into a commingling agreement.
 
The initiator of deposit has the obligation to pick up any empty, unbroken and reasonably clean beverage containers of the particular kind, size and brand sold by the distributor from dealers to whom that distributor has sold those beverages once every 30 days and from licensed redemption centers once every 30 days. The initiator of deposit is not obligated to respond to a request to pick up additional containers from a dealer or licensed redemption center unless or until the dealer or licensed redemption center has accumulated beverage containers with a minimum total refund value of $750.
 
SUMMARY
This bill removes the current obligation in rule that requires a distributor to pick up a redemption center every time the distributor makes a delivery of product to any dealer or retailer that has an agreement with that redemption center. It replaces that obligation with a statutory obligation to pick up beverage containers at every redemption center every 30 days and to make additional pick ups when the redemption center has accumulated $750 worth of beverage containers.