Maine Revised Statutes Title 5. Administrative Procedures and Services § 1812-B. Purchasing of paper and paper products

1. Purchase of paper and paper products with recycled material content. Subject to subsection 3, the Chief Procurement Officer shall provide that of the total dollar amount spent in each fiscal year on paper and paper products purchased by the State:

2. Federal guidelines and cooperative purchases. To qualify as having recycled material content, paper or paper products must have recycled material content that meets or exceeds the standards established for that paper or paper product category in Table 1 of the Guideline for Federal Procurement of Paper and Paper Products, 40 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 250. The Chief Procurement Officer shall determine whether paper or a paper product qualifies. The Chief Procurement Officer may join with other states in making cooperative requests for bids to supply paper and paper products.

3. Bids; price preference. A person who submits a bid for a contract to supply paper or paper products shall certify the percentage and nature of any recycled material content in the product subject to bid. Bids offering paper or paper products with recycled material content that are within 10% of the lowest bid that meets all other specifications may receive up to a 10% price preference. Any bids to supply paper or paper products with recycled material content that exceed by more than 10% the low bid that meets all other specifications may not be considered. If no bids are received on a request for bids that offer paper or paper products with recycled material content, the Chief Procurement Officer may award the contract to a bidder whose paper or paper product has substandard percentages of or no recycled material content.