On February 10, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic Butchko submitted written testimony to the Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee in opposition to SB 342 – Maryland Beverage Container Recycling Refund and Litter Reduction Program. 

This bill requires the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) to establish the Maryland Beverage Container Recycling Refund and Litter Reduction Program. While well-intentioned, the program would divert high-value scrap materials from county recycling facilities and create a significant, ongoing unfunded mandate for local budgets—with only temporary fiscal assistance in return.

County waste management operations are partially funded through revenue from the sale of recyclable scrap materials. When those materials are diverted from county waste streams, local leaders are left with few viable options to replace a significant share of that revenue. If enacted, counties would need to either raise revenue or cut services in order to address the newly created deficit.

From MACo Testimony: 

Local governments have spent decades building robust curbside recycling programs. Counties rely on the sale of scrap materials collected through these programs to help offset the high costs of waste management and recycling operations. SB 342 would redirect some of the most valuable commodities—aluminum cans and plastic bottles—away from county curbside systems and into a separate redemption stream, while offering only time-limited compensation through 2031.

SB 342’s cross-file, HB 331, was heard in the Environment and Transportation Committee on February 11. Dominic Butchko testified in opposition to this bill.

More on MACo’s Advocacy: 

• Follow MACo’s advocacy efforts during the 2026 legislative session on MACo’s Legislative Tracking Database
• Learn more about MACo’s 2026 Legislative Initiatives
• Read more General Assembly News on MACo’s Conduit Street blog