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Senate committee sends producer-responsibility bottle bill to Energy after amendment shortening sunrise period
Summary
Senator Sutherland introduced a producer-responsibility bottle bill to address landfill pressures and encourage industry-run recycling; the committee adopted a verbal amendment shortening a sunrise/sunrise provision from three years to two and sent the bill to the Energy Committee with a positive recommendation after industry testimony on costs.
Senator Sutherland opened discussion on a bill aimed at addressing shrinking landfill capacity and expanding recycling through a producer-responsibility framework. He said the draft allows industry groups to form producer responsibility organizations and emphasized voluntary participation by brands and packaging firms. Senator Sutherland framed the bill as a vehicle to get all stakeholders "to the table" rather than imposing an immediate mandatory statewide deposit.
Senator Rose offered and the committee adopted a verbal amendment to change the sunrise/sunrise provision in section 2 from three years to two years; legal staff said the committee's action will be folded into a revised draft. Andy Hackman, representing AmeriPen and the packaging supply chain, testified that extended producer-responsibility programs are significant organizational undertakings and warned of high startup and implementation costs, saying he and his organization "do see this as a mandatory program in the current amendment." After clarifying that the sponsor is willing to remove mandatory elements, senators voted to send the bill to the Energy Committee with a positive recommendation for further development.
