Two bills will be heard in the first week of session that propose to improve Washington’s stagnant recycling progress. The percentage of materials recycled has plateaued at about 50% even though curbside recycling programs have expanded over the years. Only one bill addresses the key issue undermining local government’s best efforts to improve our recycling rate – requiring the companies that make decisions on what packaging to send to our state to be responsible to pay for and solve the waste it creates.

That policy is known as EPR – extended producer responsibility and is nothing new. Every legislatively-directed state study in recent memory points to EPR for packaging as the solution to modernize our recycling system. Western Europe has had EPR for packaging for decades; and our neighbor to the north, British Columbia, also has EPR for packaging – all provided by the same companies that sell the products lining your fridge and pantries. Shouldn’t they be held accountable in the U.S., as well? State legislators in Maine, Oregon, California, and Colorado thought so and passed EPR for packaging laws for their states in the last two years. Will Washington be next or will our residents continue to shoulder the burden?

The bill that will bring Washington in line with the rest of the West Coast is HB 2049, the WRAP Act, sponsored by Rep. Liz Berry (D-Seattle). This is the only comprehensive solution that will bring in the missing stakeholder – packaging producers. AWC appreciates the leadership by the sponsor and the legislators signing on to the bill in support. This bill has been worked and reworked by stakeholders over the last few years, including extensive one-on-one meetings this past fall between the Washington Refuse and Recycling Association (WRRA) (the companies who haul and process garbage and recycling), the bill sponsor, cities, and the Department of Ecology. AWC, on behalf of cities across the state and the residents who fund our recycling system, asks the Legislature to carry this proposal across the finish line in 2024.

Take action!

• Join your local elected colleagues (100+) by signing on in support of the EPR approach
• Reach out to your legislators and tell them you want a real solution – HB 2049

The alternative proposal by the WRRA is HB 1900. Unlike the WRAP Act, it won’t increase access to recycling, and it won’t do anything to assure that collected materials are recycled responsibly. HB 1900 will continue to place the burden of recycling on local governments and residents. Why? Because it lets packaging producers off the hook. We will not make any significant improvements to recycling in Washington without ensuring that the producers of packaging and paper products are part of the solution.

Dates to remember

HB 2049 is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Environment & Energy Committee on Tuesday, January 9 at 4 pm.

HB 1900 is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Environment & Energy Committee Thursday, January 11 at 8 am.