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<section article="gen" article_name="Environment" number="9-2508" title_number="9" title_name="Water, Ice, and Sanitary Facilities" subtitle_number="25" subtitle_name="Producer Responsibility for Packaging and Paper Products">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>On or before July 1, 2027, the Department shall develop a statewide list of covered materials determined to be recyclable or compostable through curbside recycling programs.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Covered materials in the list developed under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be collected:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>At an optimal level of service and convenience for covered entities; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>At a minimum, wherever collection services for mixed municipal solid waste are available.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>The Department shall develop the list under subsection (a) of this section in consultation with:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>The advisory council;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Producer responsibility organizations;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Service providers;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>Local governments; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>Other interested parties.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>In developing the list under subsection (a) of this section, the Department may consider the following criteria:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Current availability of recycling and composting collection services;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Recycling and composting processing infrastructure;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Capacity and technology for sorting covered materials;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>Whether a covered material is:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Of a type and form that is regularly sorted and aggregated into defined streams for recycling processes; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Included in a specification of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, or a successor organization;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>Availability of responsible end markets;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>Presence and amount of processing residuals, contamination, and toxic substances;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>Quantity of covered material estimated to be available and recoverable;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="8">
      <text>Projected future conditions for the criteria under items (1) through (7) of this subsection; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="9">
      <text>Any other criteria or factor, as determined by the Department.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Department may amend a list completed under this section at any time.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <level label="i">
        <text>The Department shall provide an amended list under this subsection to producer responsibility organizations within a reasonable amount of time, determined by the Department, after amending the list.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>On receipt of an amended list, a producer responsibility organization shall:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>Provide the list to service providers as soon as practicable after receiving the amended list; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Work to incorporate changes in relevant service provider reimbursement rates within 1 calendar year.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <level label="i">
        <text>A producer may request, on a form prescribed by the Department, that the Department classify one or more types of packaging as an exempt material.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The Department shall submit a request received under this subsection to the advisory council for review and comment before approving or denying the request.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Subject to paragraph (1)(ii) of this subsection, the Department may approve the request only if the Department determines that a specific federal or State health and safety requirement prevents the packaging from being waste reduced or made reusable, recyclable, or compostable.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Within 120 days after the date on which the Department receives a request under paragraph (1) of this subsection, the Department shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Review and approve or deny the request; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Request additional information from the producer.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>The Department shall publish and update as necessary on the Department’s website a list of materials exempted by request under this subsection.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <level label="i">
        <text>An exemption approved per a request under this subsection shall expire 2 years after the date on which the Department approves the request.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>A producer may file a subsequent request that the Department classify one or more types of packaging as an exempt material after the expiration of the classification under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
