Under Phase 2 of the approved Maine Beverage Redemption Group plan, redemption centers and dealers sort beverage containers by material type, size and deposit value as directed by the cooperative. The plan sets October 1, 2026 as the start of full commingling.
What changes October 1
Before full commingling, centers have been working under individual commingling-group management programs. The approved plan says that starting October 1, 2026, full commingling begins and the cooperative takes on the statewide coordination role. For manually sorted containers, the key operational change is the move away from brand-based sorting to material, size and deposit-value categories.
The cooperative also allocates pickup locations among commingling groups and plans pickup schedules. Maine law requires the program plan to ensure payment to a redemption center within 10 calendar days after a pickup unless a written agreement provides otherwise.
Current October 1 sort profile
The table below is the MBRG October 1 profile currently loaded in RedemptionBase. It is meant as an operator reference. If MBRG or Maine DEP gives your center newer written instructions, use the newer instructions.
| Sort | Size band | Finished unit | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALUMINUM — 5¢ | 4–10 oz (50–250 mL) | Bag | 432 |
| ALUMINUM — 5¢ | 10.5–14.9 oz (320–375 mL) | Bag | 336 |
| ALUMINUM — 5¢ | 15–19.2 oz (440–570 mL) | Bag | 240 |
| ALUMINUM — 5¢ | 20 oz or larger (700–750 mL) | Bag | 168 |
| WINE & LIQUOR — ALUMINUM | 15¢ — 100 mL or larger | Case | 24 |
| HDPE — 5¢ | 2.7–10 oz (187–333 mL) | Bag | 432 |
| HDPE — 5¢ | 12–18 oz | Bag | 216 |
| HDPE — 5¢ | 32–48 oz | Bag | 108 |
| HDPE — 5¢ | 52–86 oz | Bag | 60 |
| HDPE — 5¢ | 96 oz or larger (incl. 1 gallon) | Bag | 30 |
| STEEL / TIN — 5¢ | 5.5–16 oz | Bag | 240 |
| STEEL / TIN — 5¢ | 46 oz | Bag | 48 |
| OTHER — 5¢ | Arizona & other #5–7 plastics — any size | Case | 24 |
| WINE & LIQUOR — OTHER | 15¢ — ceramics, tin, #5–7 plastics — any size | Case | 24 |
| PET — 5¢ | 4–13 oz (100–375 mL) | Bag | 336 |
| PET — 5¢ | 14–17.5 oz (410–524 mL) | Bag | 216 |
| PET — 5¢ | 18–25.4 oz (700–750 mL) | Bag | 168 |
| PET — 5¢ | 26–40 oz (850–946 mL) | Bag | 108 |
| PET — 5¢ | 40.5–67.6 oz (incl. 2-liter) | Bag | 60 |
| PET — 5¢ | 76 oz or larger (incl. 3-liter) | Bag | 30 |
| WINE & LIQUOR — PET | 5¢ nips — 50 mL or smaller | Bag | 240 |
| WINE & LIQUOR — PET | 15¢ — 100–1,000 mL | Bag | 120 |
| WINE & LIQUOR — PET | 15¢ — 1,000 mL or larger | Bag | 60 |
| GLASS — 5¢ | 100 mL to 20 oz | Shell | 24 |
| GLASS — 5¢ | Larger than 20 oz (>500 mL) | Shell | 12 |
| WINE & LIQUOR — GLASS | 5¢ nips — 50 mL or smaller | Case | 24 |
| WINE & LIQUOR — GLASS | 15¢ — 100–1,000 mL | Shell | 12 |
| WINE & LIQUOR — GLASS | 15¢ — 1,000 mL or larger | Shell | 6 |
What a manual center should do before the change
Pickup and payment are changing too
The MBRG plan says the cooperative will either pay centers directly or facilitate payment through commingling groups, depending on the payment method selected. The plan also makes MBRG responsible for allocating pickup locations and planning efficient schedules. The statutory plan requirements call for payment of applicable deposits and handling fees within 10 calendar days of pickup unless there is a different written agreement.
This transition is still active. We will update this reference when written MBRG or DEP instructions change. The date at the top matters—do not rely on an old screenshot of the table months later.