Specifications include, but are not limited to: The State of Maine Department of Environmental Protection (Department) is seeking proposals for a comprehensive statewide waste audit as defined in this Request for Proposal (RFP) document. This document provides instructions for submitting proposals, the procedure, and criteria by which the awarded Bidder will be selected, and the contractual terms which will govern the relationship between the State of Maine (State) and the awarded Bidder. 38 M.R.S § 212 2 requires the Department to prepare an analysis of and a plan for the management, reduction, and recycling of solid waste for the State (“the Management Plan” or “Plan”). The Plan is required to be updated every five (5) years and was last updated in 2019. The Plan must be based on the priorities and recycling goals established in 38 M.R.S. § 2101 and § 2132 and provide guidance and direction to municipalities in planning and implementing waste management and recycling programs at the state, regional and local level. As per 38 M.R.S § 2123-A, the plan must be based on a comprehensive analysis of solid waste generated, recycled, and disposed of in the state. It should be noted a Waste Characterization Study was not completed for the 2019 plan update, nor for the 2014 update. This RFP is to solicit bids for completion of the comprehensive waste analysis (“Waste Characterization Study” or “Study”). The data collected for the Study must be obtained, evaluated, and presented in a manner that will allow the Department to prepare an informed analysis of, and a plan for, the management, reduction, recycling, and composting and anaerobic digestion of solid waste for the State. The study will be utilized by the Department to assist in its long-term planning by providing a comprehensive understanding of the composition of waste currently being disposed in order to target majority components of the waste stream for future reduction, diversion, recycling, and composting and anaerobic digestion, and reduce the overall amount of material requiring disposal. Due to funding issues that have impacted the release date of this RFP, the Department understands the Study will not be completed by the time the Management Plan is due to be submitted to the legislature in January 2024. The Study will be addended to the Management Plan upon its finalization. Data gathered from this research will be incorporated into future planning activities.
