Maine § 2101-B. - Food recovery hierarchy

§ 2101-B.. Food recovery hierarchy

1.  Priorities.  It is the policy of the State to support the solid waste management hierarchy in section 2101 by preventing and diverting food waste from land disposal or incineration and by ensuring the management of food waste in accordance with section 2147 and the following order of priority:

A. Reduction of the volume of food waste generated at the point of generation;   [PL 2025, c. 419, §2 (AMD).]

B. Donation of excess edible food to food rescue organizations or similar entities that will use the food for human consumption;   [PL 2025, c. 419, §2 (AMD).]

C. Diversion of food waste for agricultural use, including consumption by animals;   [PL 2025, c. 419, §2 (AMD).]

D. [PL 2025, c. 419, §2 (RP).]

D-1. Composting or anaerobic digestion of food waste, which may include energy recovery, and subsequent soil application as long as the food waste is not mixed with sludge or septage during composting or anaerobic digestion and before soil application;   [PL 2025, c. 419, §2 (NEW).]

D-2. Anaerobic digestion of food waste not followed by soil application; and   [PL 2025, c. 419, §2 (NEW).]

E. Land disposal or incineration of food waste.   [PL 2025, c. 419, §2 (AMD).]

2.  Guiding principle.  It is the policy of the State to use the order of priority in this section, in conjunction with the order of priority in section 2101, as a guiding principle in making decisions related to solid waste and organic materials management.