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Senate committee hears mixed views on mattress extended‑producer‑responsibility bill
Summary
Supporters told the Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee that mattress recycling could relieve landfills and create jobs, while retailers and the mattress industry cautioned the bill needs more stakeholder work; no committee action was taken.
A Senate committee heard hours of testimony Wednesday on Senate Bill 6,271, a proposal to create an extended producer responsibility (EPR) program for mattresses intended to fund collection, reuse and recycling across Washington.
Alicia Kinney Clausen, staff to the committee, told members the bill would require mattress producers to form and register a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) by Jan. 1, 2027, and to register with the PRO by Jan. 1, 2031 in order to sell or distribute mattresses in the state. The PRO would set producer fees (prohibited from appearing as a separate point‑of‑sale charge to consumers), prepare a plan that includes collection for illegally dumped mattresses, and meet a performance goal of at least a 70% recycling rate. Clausen said the bill also requires reporting, enforcement, outreach and the establishment of an advisory committee.
Supporters said the bill responds to a growing waste and budget problem for local governments. Preston Peck, senior sustainability analyst for the City of Tacoma Environmental Services, said Tacoma currently lacks accessible mattress recycling options, is…
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