Senate Debate on Bottle Deposit Bill Centers on Litter Reduction, Costs and Retail Burden

Senate Bill 5502 would establish a statewide deposit‑refund program for beverage containers, charging a 10¢ refundable fee on covered containers (plastic, metal and glass, one gallon or less). A producer responsibility organization (PRO) would design and administer the program, fund redemption sites (express and full‑service), develop consumer‑education plans and meet redemption‑rate targets in statute. The bill sets an initial target of greater than 65% redemption by the end of year two and greater than 80% by the end of year five.

Sponsor and agency briefing

Senator June Robinson (30th Legislative District), the bill’s prime sponsor, told the committee she supports the measure based on personal experience with deposit systems and concern about visible litter. “People are, for better or for worse, motivated by money,” Robinson said, describing a past experience in Michigan returning bottles for small store credit and arguing a deposit creates an incentive to keep bottles out of parks, roadways and waterways.

Peter Lyon, program manager for Ecology’s solid waste program, submitted technical comments and described the bill as “a highly effective recovery system for beverage containers.” He recommended changes to payment timing for agency costs, additional due dates to allow a two‑year rulemaking process,…