King County official outlines REPLUS plan, urges extended producer responsibility and grants to curb landfill waste

Nina Olivier, Circular Economy Program Manager for King County Solid Waste Division, told Thurston County’s Solid Waste Advisory Committee on May 7 that King County’s REPLUS strategic plan aims to keep materials out of the Cedar Hills Regional Landfill by expanding reuse, repair, composting and producer responsibility programs.

Olivier summarized a King County waste‑characterization study that found “an estimated 70% of what goes into our transfer stations bound for landfill could be recycled, composted, repaired, reused, or recirculated.” She said that finding helped drive the county’s roadmap to “0 waste” and shaped priorities such as extended producer responsibility (EPR) and organics collection.

Why it matters: Olivier warned the committee that Cedar Hills has a finite life and “we estimate that in 15 to 20 years we’ll be at maximum volume,” a projection that local officials said underscores the urgency of diversion and upstream product changes. Olivier said King County’s REPLUS plan and the new Washington Recycling Reform Act create tools for jurisdictions and stakeholders to reduce landfill demand and improve end markets.

Key elements Olivier described included statewide EPR programs created by recent legislation, which shift end‑of‑life responsibility from taxpayers and local governments to product producers. She said the Recycling Reform Act establishes EPR for paper and packaging with program implementation phased in through 2030; producers will be required to shoulder most recycling system costs and invest in system improvements. “Under EPR, producers are required to take financial or operational responsibility for collecting recycling and safely disposing of their products and packaging once consumers are done with them,” she said.

Olivier also outlined REPLUS investments and grant programs funded from tipping fees. She said King County has set aside grant funding and listed a REPLUS grants pool of roughly $2,322,000 for community projects that accelerate circular‑economy outcomes, citing examples such as tool libraries, salvage lumber warehouses and repair‑economy programs.

Olivier addressed organics policy and implementation: King County operates transfer stations, organics collection, and a compost network that includes Cedar Grove. She said the county is expanding single‑family organics collection in unincorporated areas, offering technical assistance to small businesses to comply with organics laws, and piloting co‑digestion projects. On potential deposit‑return systems, Olivier said the Recycling Reform Act includes sections to explore a deposit refund program similar to Oregon’s bottle‑deposit systems.

On contamination and public health issues, Olivier acknowledged ongoing concern about PFAS and compost safety. In response to a question, she said regional research bodies including the Washington Organics Regional Council and university partners are funding studies on PFAS in compost and soil; she cautioned that “filtering out all those microplastics and forever chemicals is nearly impossible,” and said guidance and research are still developing.

Olivier encouraged local jurisdictions to engage in Department of Ecology needs assessments and advisory‑council work for the Recycling Reform Act and offered to share slides and links with Thurston County staff.

What’s next: Committee members thanked Olivier and raised follow‑up items including local capacity to accept additional compostable packaging, possible outreach to businesses such as Taco Time about their composting practices, and how Thurston County might apply lessons in its own solid‑waste planning. Olivier said King County will share resources and contacts and that department web pages and DEQ/Department of Ecology guidance provide implementation timelines and materials.