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Washington lawmakers unveil Recycling Reform Act to shift recycling costs to producers and expand access
Summary
State lawmakers and supporters outlined the Recycling Reform Act, an extended producer responsibility plan that would require producers to fund recycling, expand service to rural areas and set statewide recycling standards; sponsors say rollout will be staged over 5–10 years and producers will form Ecology‑approved 'PROs' to implement the program.
State Representative Liz Berry and Sen. Liz Lovett on Friday introduced the Recycling Reform Act, a proposed extended producer responsibility (EPR) law designed to shift the cost and oversight of recycling from residents and local governments onto the companies that make packaging.
The bill would require producers to form producer responsibility organizations (PROs) that must be approved by the Washington State Department of Ecology, conduct needs assessments, and submit plans to expand recycling infrastructure and services statewide, Rep. Liz Berry said. "We turn off the tap. That's what this bill is all about," Berry said, holding up a sample of household packaging to illustrate what she called excessive, hard-to-recycle material.
Supporters said the measure aims to standardize what counts as recyclable across jurisdictions, improve transparency about where recovered materials go, and pay for education and infrastructure to reduce contamination. "Everyone in our state who currently has garbage service will receive recycling service, especially rural and low‑income communities," Sen. Liz Lovett said, framing access as an equity issue.
Public‑health and environmental advocates at the event warned about health impacts from plastics and related chemicals. Dr. Mark Fosler of Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility said microplastics and PFAS are showing up in human tissues and described the production of virgin plastics as an environmental‑justice concern for communities located near manufacturing and disposal sites.
Local officials urged action. Kent City Council member Bridal Fincher said inconsistent local rules and varying lists of acceptable materials create confusion and contamination; Olympia Mayor Dante Payne said Olympia’s experience doing in‑house collection shows rising costs and limited markets for some materials. Payne cited an estimate that about 210,000 tons of material could be diverted from landfills annually under the policy.
Environmental groups framed the change as a systemwide reform. Peter Steelquist of the Surfrider Foundation said the bill would increase recycling rates and restrict opaque downstream sales of recyclables; he said the measure could raise the statewide recycling rate ‘‘from 40% to 66% by 2032’’ and reduce large volumes of greenhouse gases and hazardous releases, while stopping marketplaces that hide final destinations for materials.
Industry stakeholders also participated in the session. Dylan DeThomas of The Recycling Partnership, a national nonprofit funded in part by producers, said the final number of obligated producers depends on legislative language but estimated "roughly around 2 to 3,000 producers would be obligated." Sponsors said producers would assess fees on packaging types, with more easily recyclable materials paying lower fees to incentivize design changes.
Implementation questions remain. Sponsors said a needs assessment will map processing capacity, truck and personnel needs, and where drop‑off points will be required; they gave a timeline of staged rollout with residents likely to see changes within five years and a full realization in about a decade. Rep. Berry said 11 rural counties currently lack curbside recycling and that the PROs’ plans—subject to Ecology approval—would specify how to expand service.
The sponsors emphasized they expect to work with producers, local governments and labor during implementation. Rep. Berry said producers have been at the stakeholder table and that many are willing to participate in a business‑led solution. She also said the program would not force individual haulers or residents to alter disposal methods immediately; instead, the bill funds convenience, education and infrastructure to encourage participation.
The bill’s sponsors pointed to recent EPR laws in other jurisdictions, saying Washington drew on Minnesota and West Coast examples to craft its proposal. Sponsors said they would provide requested follow‑up information, including a list of the 11 rural counties without curbside recycling.
The press conference closed with officials offering follow‑up to questions and promising additional details as the bill proceeds through the legislative process.
