A bill originally introduced to transform Washington’s recycling system by making product producers responsible for ensuring their packaging achieves high recycling rates has been whittled down but continues to work its way through the Legislature.

The substitute SB 5022 passed out of the Senate with additional amendments made on the Senate floor. The bill now proposes to require producers of plastic bottles, jugs, and trash bags to register as producers and meet entry-level recycling content rates to achieve 50 percent by 2031. It also bans certain foam packaging and products and requires food service establishments to provide plastic utensils and other disposable packaging only upon customer request.

While the approach will not solve the market crisis impacting local government recycling programs, it does move our state further towards the top recommendation from the Washington plastics study to address plastic packaging waste—a producer responsibility framework.

While the approach will not solve the market crisis impacting local government recycling programs, it does move our state further towards a producer responsibility framework.

Published in December 2020, the report includes ten policy recommendations (SB 5022 addresses those in bold):

1. Extended producer responsibility policy framework for all consumer packaging and paper.
2. Deposit return system for all beverage containers.
3. Recycled content requirements for all plastic packaging (SB 5022 requires for bottles & jugs).
4. Producer registry and packaging reporting.
5. Recycled content requirements for plastic beverage containers.
6. Recycled content requirements for trash bags.
7. Ban on problematic and unnecessary plastic packaging (SB 5022 bans foam).
8. Customer opt-in for food service packaging and accessories.
9. Strengthen data collection on final destinations of materials sent for reprocessing.
10. Support development and adoption of reusable packaging systems.

AWC continues to work with stakeholders to strengthen the provisions of the bill to hold producers accountable to the recycled-content requirements.

Date to remember

SB 5022 is scheduled for public hearing in the House Environment & Energy Committee on Thursday, March 11 at 1:30 pm.