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House committee hears heated debate over 10¢ recycling refund proposal
Summary
Lawmakers heard hours of testimony for and against House Bill 16‑07, a proposed 10¢ deposit/refund system that would require beverage producers to form producer responsibility organizations and finance statewide redemption infrastructure; supporters cited litter reduction and reuse, opponents warned of higher grocery costs and strain on curbside recycling.
The House committee heard extensive testimony on House Bill 16‑07, which would create a 10‑cent refund for covered beverage containers and require beverage producers to form a producer responsibility organization (PRO) to run redemption and reporting systems.
Proponents said the deposit would sharply reduce litter and increase recycling and reuse. "Deposit refund programs are the most effective way to ensure that containers come back intact," said Adam Rack of Raveno, a reuse service provider, arguing that redemption systems create the logistics needed for reuse. Seattle Public Utilities staff and environmental groups said combining the bill with the Recycling Reform Act could move the state’s consumer materials recycling rate toward a target above current levels.
Opponents, including the Washington Refuse and Recycling Association and major retailers, said the measure would function as a de‑facto per‑container charge that raises grocery costs and siphons valuable bottles and cans from existing curbside systems. "At its core, this bill functions like a new tax on beverage containers," said Nick Strueley of WRRA, who also warned of large sums in unredeemed deposits observed elsewhere.
Committee staff and fiscal notes reviewed program mechanics: producers would charge a visible refund value at point of sale and be required to submit plans and annual reports to the Department of Ecology; the Department of Revenue’s prior fiscal note estimated B&O tax revenues in the low millions in early biennia. Representative Stonyear, the bill sponsor, said recent drafts respond to concerns from hospitality, craft brewers and Ecology and thanked many supporters who filed written testimony instead of speaking.
Testimony spanned municipal utilities and recycling firms, grocery and convenience trade groups, county solid‑waste officials, students and environmental advocates. Questions from members highlighted equity and convenience for rural and frontier counties, the feasibility of siting redemption facilities, possible impacts on existing material‑recovery facilities, and the proportion of unredeemed deposits that would remain with program administrators.
The committee did not take a vote on the bill; the hearing record will include extensive written testimony and staff fiscal analyses.
