12 Illegal Things You Can’t Toss in The Trash in Maine

When people say that Maine is an environmentally clean state, they're not kidding.

According to MaineBiz, Maine leads the nation is several different categories when it comes to recycling. Maine doubles the national average in terms of residents that regularly recycle.

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Even for those that are environmentally conscious, there's always some indecision when it comes to some items. Can you recycle it? Can you toss in the everyday trash? or does this item require a little more effort to dispose of?

The truth is, there are not that many items you can either recycle or toss in the trash in Maine. But it's good to know which items specifically are illegal to dispose of in ordinary trash because believe it or not, you could face punishment.

Maine Law Has Several Different Fines For Illegal Disposal of Items

Depending on the severity of the hazardous items thrown out and whether or not it is a habitual issue, Maine law carries several different penalties for tossing illegal items into common trash.

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According to Maine.gov, discarding illegal items into your trash could be considered littering and carry fines anywhere between $500 and $1,000.

Repeat violators could face much more severe penalties, including felony counts, if they continue to violate the law over a 5-year period.

As you'll see on the list below, hazardous materials being tossed in everyday trash could lead to substantial fines in the thousands or tens of thousands depending on the response needed to remedy the issue.

With that being said, here are 12 different things you absolutely should not throw in your everyday trash here in Maine.