The Recycling Reform Act passes the Senate

The Recycling Reform Act (HB 1150/SB 5284) made significant movement through the Washington legislature last week– for the first time, the bill passed through the Washington State Senate. Following a debate, the bill passed by a vote of 27-22.

In Washington, more than 50% of consumer packaging and paper products are landfilled or incinerated, wasting an extraordinary amount of material that could have been recycled.

The Recycling Reform Act would improve our state’s recycling rates by creating a producer responsibility program that holds companies financially responsible for the waste their packaging creates.

Right now, 11 counties in Washington don’t have access to curbside recycling, and in recent years, residents across the state have seen their recycling utility bills increase over 30%.

If passed, the Recycling Reform Act would expand recycling across the state, giving free curbside recycling to an estimated 500,000 more homes in Washington. With the cost of recycling shifting to producers, residents would see a reduction in their utility bills. It would also reduce recycling confusion by creating one list of what can and can’t be recycled across the state.

The Recycling Reform Act now needs to pass through the House, so it is critical that representatives hear support from their constituents. The bill is being heard in the House Environment & Energy committee on Monday, March 17, at 1:30 pm. Please show your support by signing in PRO for SB 5284 at this link.

You can also give your legislator a call today to ask them to support the Recycling Reform Act!

How To Call Your Legislators

The best way to contact your legislators is to call the legislative hotline: 1-800-562-6000, which operates from 8 am to 7 pm M-F. The operator will ask for your zip code and the message you would like to leave for your legislator.

Sample Calling Script

My name is XXXX XXXX and I live in [town]. I’m calling to ask for your support in establishing a producer responsibility program in Washington to reduce the growing amount of plastic and other hard-to-manage packaging and improve recycling here in Washington. Please support the Recycling Reform Act, Senate Bill 5284. Thank you!