Maryland § 9-2509

§ 9-2509.

    (a)    Beginning July 1, 2029, each producer or producer responsibility organization that has an approved producer responsibility plan on file with the Department shall report annually to the Department on the progress toward meeting plan requirements and goals for the immediately preceding calendar year.

    (b)    The report required under subsection (a) of this section shall include:

        (1)    A detailed description of the reimbursement methods used for collecting, transporting, and processing covered materials;

        (2)    (i)    The status on achieving the performance goals established under § 9–2505(c)(1)(iii) of this subtitle; and

            (ii)    If the goals have not been achieved, a description of the actions proposed to achieve the goals;

        (3)    The amount of each covered material type collected in the State, including the method of disposition of each packaging material type;

        (4)    The total cost of implementing the plan, as determined by an independent financial auditor, including:

            (i)    A copy of the work product of the independent financial auditor; and

            (ii)    Financial statements detailing all payments received and issued by the producers covered under the approved plan;

        (5)    Samples of all educational materials provided to consumers or other entities;

        (6)    A detailed description of the actions taken and an evaluation of the methods used to disseminate educational materials, including recommendations, if any, for how the educational component of the plan can be improved;

        (7)    A detailed description of investments made in market development and for improving reuse, composting, and recycling infrastructure;

        (8)    Proof of a third–party audit of:

            (i)    The reduction in covered materials reported;

            (ii)    The data used to determine the status of achieving performance goals;

            (iii)    The amount of each covered material type collected in the State; and

            (iv)    The overall redemption rate and recycling rate of beverage containers in the State; and

        (9)    Any other information as required by the Department.

    (c)    When providing the Department with the annual report required under this section, a producer or producer responsibility organization shall pay to the Department the Department’s estimated costs of administering, overseeing, and enforcing the plan for the 1 year immediately following the annual report.

    (d)    Financial, production, or sales data reported to the Department by a producer or producer responsibility organization shall be kept confidential by the Department and may not be subject to public inspection.

    (e)    Subject to subsection (d) of this section, the report shall be posted on the website of the Department and the producer or producer responsibility organization.