South Portland Progress
waste reduction
1 IN AcTION
5 IN PROGRESS
3 NOT STARTED
(Updated Dec 2025)
Expand a pay-as-you-throw system to South Portland.
Status: In Progress
Update: Analyzing the cost and feasibility of PAYT with curbside food waste to present to Council in 2026 workshop. (updated Dec 2025)
Key Milestones: Implement PAYT program in South Portland by 2026.
Mandate recycling for commercial and multifamily buildings.
Status: In Progress
Update: Partnering with ecomaine’s Multi-Family Recycling Initiative in 2026/27 to increase recycling in housing with 5+ units. (updated Dec 2025)
Key Milestones: Require recycling in commercial and multifamily residential buildings by 2026.
Expand programs to divert food waste and increase organics recycling rates to ensure that excess food is better used to nourish people, animals, industries, and soils.
Status: In Progress
Update: Introduced citywide food waste program in 2018 with a DEP grant; transition from anaerobic digestion to compost; delivered multiple outreach campaigns with DEP grant funding; pairing citywide curbside food waste collection with PAYT proposal in 2026. (updated Dec 2025)
Key Milestones: Reduce food waste in trash stream 70% by 2040.
Ban select single-use plastics and identify partnerships to reduce plastic waste,
Status: In Progress
Update: Participated in state EPR for packaging rule-making; participating in reusables pilot program with UMaine and Reuse Maine in 2026. (updated Dec 2025)
Key Milestones: Eliminate single-use plastics in the cities to the fullest extent practicable by 2026.
Foster a circular and sharing economy.
Status: In Action
Update: Opened the South Portland Electric Tool Library (SPETL) in 2023 with a DEP grant, expanded 18 to 36 tools in 2025; manage Swap Shop; in 2024 established annual “repair fair” with NRCM grant; in 2025 partnered with Parks & Rec on “Swap Series”; exploring neighborhood hub initiative in 2026/2027. (updated Dec 2025)
Key Milestones: Ongoing efforts to establish new spaces, programs, or initiatives in each city that support resource sharing, reuse, or repair
Reduce construction and demolition waste through targeted re-use initiatives.
Status: In Progress
Update: Staff attends monthly Maine Deconstruction Network meetings, covering circular economy initiatives, design for disassembly, challenges in Maine and other states, and balancing supply and demand in creating a healthier circular economy through deconstruction practices rather than demolition only. The Network will explore hosting future trainings/workshops for architects, engineers, and other professionals on deconstruction and reuse. (updated Dec 2025)
Key Milestone: Adopt C&D waste reduction targets and ordinance by 2035.
Work with state and regional partners to encourage “by-product synergy” with industrial waste streams.
Status: Not started
Update: None (Updated Dec 2025)
Key Milestone: Regional materials marketplace launched by 2035
Investigate options for reducing emissions of wastewater treatment with anaerobic digestion.
Status: Not started
Update: None (Updated Dec 2025)
Key Milestone: Engineering feasibility study commissioned by 2032
Adopt a sustainable purchasing policy for municipal procurement.
Status: Not Started
Update: None (Updated Dec 2025)
Key Milestone: Sustainable purchasing policy adopted by 2024
