Governor Ferguson has signed Washington鈥檚 Recycling Reform Act (Senate Bill 5284) into law. The law updates the state鈥檚 recycling system and reduces unnecessary packaging, funds statewide collection services, and ensures materials put in curbside bins are recycled. The new law will require the establishment of a producer responsibility organization, funded by manufacturers and consumer brands, that brings financial sustainability and investment in the recycling system across the state. The law covers packaging and paper products, including beverage containers.
鈥淎s a lifelong, passionate advocate for protecting our planet by reducing our waste, I couldn鈥檛 be more proud that our team triumphed in passing this bill into law,鈥� said Sen. Liz Lovelett (D-Anacortes), the bill鈥檚 prime sponsor. 鈥淕enerations of Washingtonians will benefit from this nation-leading policy.鈥�
鈥淭his has been a multi-year process that involved hundreds of meetings with stakeholders across the board,鈥� said Rep. Liz Berry (D-Seattle), the sponsor of companion legislation the House. 鈥淚’m thrilled that, under this new law, recycling will be more affordable, accessible and equitable for all residents of Washington.”
鈥淭he Recycling Reform Act will mean lower utility bills for our residents, while delivering the transparency and accountability we need to make important program improvements and strengthen the public鈥檚 trust in our recycling system,鈥� said Andrew Lee, General Manager and CEO of Seattle Public Utilities. 鈥淔or many years, Seattle has been working hard to advocate for this policy, which will require companies to pay for the bulk of recycling system costs.鈥�
鈥淪uccessful programs have been in place in the EU for decades and in Canada and other countries more recently,鈥� said Andy Smith, Recycling and Environmental Services Manager at King County Solid Waste Division. 鈥淭his is a proven approach that increases recycling rates, cleans up commodity streams, reduces materials going to the landfill, and provides more living wage jobs. This is a major step forward in tackling the climate crisis.鈥�
鈥淧lastic pollution is a serious problem in Washington, and it鈥檚 about time we tackle this problem at its source,鈥� said Jeremy Lucas, Oceana鈥檚 Field Representative in Washington. 鈥淭he development of plastic source reduction targets required by the Recycling Reform Act is critical to protecting our oceans, communities, and health.鈥�
Similar laws have been adopted by Maine, Oregon, Colorado, California, Minnesota, and earlier this week, Maryland. Washington鈥檚 law differs from the other states in that it includes a fund dedicated to supporting reuse systems such as refillable soda bottles and durable, reusable take-out container systems.
鈥淭he passage of this law represents an historic step forward for better recycling and the potential for innovative reuse systems. We see so many single-use plastics in our litter cleanup events,鈥� said Sean Dixon, Executive Director of Puget Soundkeeper Alliance. 鈥淲e expect this will also result in less litter and plastic material impacting our rivers, lakes and marine waters, as we聽move toward a more sustainable future.鈥�
鈥淲e are already starting to see brands and manufacturers shift from plastic to paper packaging,鈥� Peter Steelquist,聽Washington Policy Manager for the Surfrider Foundation added. 鈥淎nd under this new law, they are going to be highly聽motivated to develop better alternatives and reduce the amount of excess packaging and plastic. This will mean less packaging that ends up in our waters and beaches.”
Nora Nickum, Seattle Aquarium鈥檚 Vice President of Conservation Programs and Partnerships, continued, 鈥淧lastic pollution is a major problem for marine wildlife, but it鈥檚 not the only material we need to address. In addition to plastic, the new law also covers packaging like boxes, cans, and bottles made from paper, metal, and glass, making sure it actually gets recycled rather than ending up in landfills or out in the environment.鈥�
鈥淭he new law would bring recycling services to an estimated additional 500,000 homes across the state, especially in rural areas and multi-family residences,鈥� said Heather Trim, Executive Director of Zero Waste Washington. 鈥淭his means we need more trucks, more recycling facilities and thus more jobs in Washington.鈥�