WashPIRG-backed bills to reduce plastic waste and make device repair easier advance in the legislature

This week, two of WashPIRG’s priority bills cleared the House Appropriations Committee.

The Fair Repair Act (HB 1392) would require manufacturers to provide consumers and independent repair shops with the parts, tools, and information necessary to fix electronic devices. The legislation aims to make device repair more accessible and affordable and reduce the e-waste generated when consumers have to throw out fixable devices.

In a committee hearing on February 20, advocates of the bill laid out the importance of providing consumers with repair options, and the necessity of Right to Repair for independent repair shops to keep our communities up and running. In executive session Thursday, the bill passed 18-12.

The WRAP Act (HB 1131) would hold producers financially responsible for the end-of-life management of their single-use packaging and other forms of waste, aiming to streamline and improve Washington’s recycling system. The bill would benefit consumers by shifting some recycling costs from municipalities and ratepayers to waste producers, and by establishing a statewide standard for which products can be placed in curbside recycling. After a productive hearing last week, the bill passed on Thursday by a vote of 19-12.

Both bills must be passed by the House of Representatives by March 8 to continue advancing this session. Now is the time to call your state representatives and tell them to support the Fair Repair Act (HB 1392) and the WRAP Act (HB 1131). For information on how to contact your legislators, use the legislature’s district finder tool.