Maine: Is there a bottle deposit?
Maine's bottle bill puts refundable deposits on most beverage containers: 5 cents for most drinks, 15 cents for wine and liquor.
Maine's law covers beer, soda, water, juice, hard cider, wine coolers, wine, spirits, and most other drinks in containers up to 4 liters. Milk and dairy and unflavored rice and soy milk are excluded, and the Maine DEP says Maine-made apple cider and blueberry juice are too. Wine and spirits bottles over 50 milliliters carry 15 cents, and small 'nip' bottles carry 5 cents. A 2023 law (LD 1909) changed how distributors pool and collect containers but did not change refund amounts.
Conditions
- 5-cent refund on beer, soda, water, juice, hard cider, wine coolers, and most other drinks
- 15-cent refund on wine and spirits containers over 50 mL
- 5-cent refund on wine and spirits containers of 50 mL or less
- Containers up to 4 liters; dairy and some Maine-made juices excluded
What the law says
To encourage container reuse and recycling, every beverage container sold or offered for sale to a consumer in this State must have a deposit and refund value. For wine and spirits containers of 50 milliliters or less, the refund value may not be more than 5¢. For wine and spirits containers of greater than 50 milliliters, the refund value may not be less than 15¢.
Sources
- 38 M.R.S. § 3103 (Refund value) Official · legislature.maine.gov
- 38 M.R.S. § 3102 (Definitions) Official · legislature.maine.gov
- Maine DEP: Beverage Container Redemption Program (Bottle Bill) Official · www11.maine.gov
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Bottle Bill Program
- Phone
- (207) 557-3218
- Website
- www11.maine.gov
How bordering states compare
- New Hampshire No bottle depositNew Hampshire has no bottle deposit law; drink containers carry no refundable deposit.