Committee hears competing testimony on HB 1607 to establish a 10¢ beverage container refund and producer‑run system

House Bill 1607 would establish a 10¢ recycling refund on glass, plastic and metal beverage containers and require beverage brand owners to appoint a producer responsibility organization to implement and operate the return system, committee staff and witnesses said.

Under the bill as presented in committee, participating producers must fund a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) that would file a plan and annual reports with the Department of Ecology, set a fee structure for producers, establish performance targets and convenience standards for redemption sites, compensate redemption sites and material recovery facilities (MRFs), and run education and outreach. The PRO would also be permitted to use unredeemed deposit funds for specific program activities. The bill includes an express redemption option that would allow producers to operate drop-off sites that do not handle cash on site but instead credit refunds after processing.

Supporters — including recycling and materials organizations, manufacturers, beverage producers, cities and environmental groups — argued the system can substantially raise recycling rates, produce higher‑quality recovered material for domestic manufacturers, reduce litter and support reuse systems. Dylan DeThomas of the Recycling Partnership said the measure pairs well with extended producer responsibility (EPR) and can build the “circular economy” by providing a reliable supply of high‑quality feedstock for U.S. processors. Industry witnesses from bottle and…