| Environment We all know the waste diversion mantra—reduce, reuse,
recycle. Much has changed over the last 40 plus years as the characteristics of
the solid waste we all produce as well as disposal and diversion methods have
changed. While managing solid waste is a smaller percentage of the
contributions to climate change impacts, there are so many actions that
citizens can take individually. But it’s not just about individual
responsibility, but also getting companies to take responsibility for the waste
their products create. Incentivizing plastic waste reduction and better
recycling outcomes will lead to creating a circular economy to divert waste
from disposal. Issue Team Chair: Ann Murphy, Waste Diversion Issue Chair, amurphy@lwvwa.org |
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Legislation |
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Wrapping up the 2024 Legislative Session The 2024 Legislative Session bills focused on implementing policies to divert waste from disposal through reuse/repair, reduction, and recycling/composting, and then to safely and sustainably manage the remainder. Some legislation was developed based on 2023 Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5187, Section 302 (20). The Washington State Legislature directed the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) to contract for a study to (1) develop recycling, reuse, and source reduction performance target rates for consumer packaging and paper materials; and (2) conduct a community input process to gather input from Washington residents about their views and opinions on the state's recycling system. This study addresses consumer packaging material, and specifically, rigid and flexible plastic, paper, aluminum, steel, and glass. Read the complete report here. During the Interim before the 2025 Session, we will be building support for bills that will continue to reduce and manage the waste that we all produce, including (but not limited to….) the recycling of electric vehicle batteries, recycling of wind turbines, management of packaging through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), and a deposit return system (DRS) for beverage containers.
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2024 Waste Diversion Legislation
Bills the League Supported that Passed
HB 1185 Reducing environmental impacts associated with lighting products. Phases out the sale of most mercury-containing lights by January 1, 2029, and extends/expands the product stewardship program for the same lights as consumers continue to transition to LED lights. Has an extended producer responsibility element in that the producers of lights in the stewardship program will be required to finance the operations of the program (eliminating the handling fee currently applied to retail sales). Championed by Representative David Hackney. This bill passed the House (52-45-0-1) and passed the Senate (29-20-0-0). The House concurred with the Senate bill (54-42-0-1). The bill was delivered to the Governor on March 7.
HB 1551/SB 5605 Reducing lead in cookware. This bill bans, beginning January 1, 2025, the sale of cookware or cookware components containing lead or lead compounds at a level of more than five parts per million in or into Washington. Led by Representative Pollet and Senator Robinson. This bill passed the House (97-0-0-1) and passed the Senate (47-0-0-2). The House concurred with the Senate bill (96-0-0-1). The bill was delivered to the Governor on March 7.
HB 2207 Providing tools designed to reduce the impacts of unlawful solid waste dumping. This bill collects fines from illegal dumping and taxes from the state business litter tax and calls it the Waste Reduction Recycling and Litter Control account; includes funds for education. This bill passed the House (97-0-0-1) and passed the Senate (49-0-0-0). The House concurred (93-0-0-4) on March 5, 2024. The bill was delivered to the Governor on March 7.
HB 2301/SB 6180 Compost & Food Donation—Improving the outcomes associated with waste material management t systems, including products affecting organic material management systems. This bill addresses composting and other management of organic (yard and food waste) in order to divert the material from the landfill and avoid methane gas generation. Includes reduction methods (standardizing system of food expiration date labeling; prohibiting plastic product stickers), and amending building code to support management of organic materials. Championed by Representative Beth Doglio.
The bill helps divert food waste and other organic material from the landfill and builds on previous legislation:
· A 2019 bill which established a goal to reduce the generation of food waste by 50% by 2030 and reduce edible food waste by 50%.
· A second bill in 2022 (HB1799), established state goals to divert 75% of organic material to landfills by 2030 and recover 20% of disposed edible food by 2025, both relative to 2015 levels.
HB2301 is yet another big step forward to get food waste out of disposal (landfill or incineration). Food waste is a major contributor of methane gas – a potent greenhouse gas - when it rots in landfills. Food that often ends up being disposed should be going to feeding people and the rest to compost and other organic management technologies. Reducing food waste is something people can do in their daily lives to help fight climate change. This legislation taps into existing capabilities to source large volume donations for distribution to state food bank distribution centers who in turn will offer it to food banks and pantries throughout the state. This bill passed the House (58-39-0-1) and passed the Senate (30-19-0-0). The House concurred with the Senate bill (57-36-0-4). The bill was delivered to the Governor on March 7.
SB 5376 Allowing the sale of cannabis waste. This bill would allow sale of cannabis if the waste would not be designated as dangerous or hazardous waste. Currently, this organic waste is often landfilled. Championed by Sen. Stanford. This bill passed the Senate (48-0-0-1) and passed the House (94-2-0-2). The Senate concurred with the House (48-0-0-1). This bill was delivered to the Governor on March 8.
Bills Introduced at the End of the Session, in Preparation for the 2025 Session
Bills in green are supported. Bills in red are opposed by the League. Bills in black the League is watching.
Concerning Electric Vehicle Battery recycling:
SB 6319 / HB 2501 Improving the end-of-life management of electric vehicle batteries. Championed by Sen Derek Stanford and Rep. Chipalo Street, this will extend from the 2023 battery EPR companion bills, which excluded EV batteries. SB 6319/HB 2501 is modeled after the New Jersey EV battery bill (January 2024) and sets up a system for ensuring safe recycling or repurposing of EV batteries. This bill was introduced in the Senate and the House March 4, 2024.
Bills the League Supported that did not Advance
HB 1933/SB 6276 Right to Repair—Promoting the fair servicing and repair of consumer products. This bill has expanded from the original requirement of digital electronic product manufacturers, such as Apple and Microsoft, to make repair information, parts and tools available to independent repair businesses and owners to make repairs. The bill then included all the consumer products that have already passed in another state. There is a huge amount of e-waste! For example, on average, Washington disposes of 8,700 phones every day. This bill would make it possible for small businesses to repair these items. Extending the life of computers, tablets and cellphones, farm equipment, wheelchairs, and appliances will decrease the need for more resources, energy and transportation to manufacture new products – therefore also decreasing greenhouse gas. This bill would lower costs for consumers, get used computers, tablets and cell phones into the hands of people who need them, and help overcome digital inequities in Washington. This way, people will keep using their items instead of tossing them! This bill was heard in respective policy committees (Senate Environment, Energy & Technology Committee and House Consumer Protection & Business Committee) and was not passed out of either committee.
HB 2049/SB 6005 Improving Washington's solid waste management outcomes. Re-WRAP Act. This was a priority bill for LWVWA. Legislation on extended producer responsibility (EPR), recycling, and waste reduction resurface in the 2024 session with a reworked Re-WRAP Act —Washington Recycling and Packaging Act. EPR is already happening in many places around the world, and in the last three years, four states (Maine, Oregon, California, Colorado) have passed similar bills. Nine more states are considering such legislation. Bill supporters estimate that enacting The Re-WRAP Act will put $104 million back into our economy on an annual basis by saving resources, improving recycling, and reducing environmental impacts. Click here for resources about Extended Producer Responsibility and multiple factsheets. This comprehensive bill is being championed by Rep. Liz Berry. The House bill advanced through committees and was placed on second reading in the House, but did not get placed on the House floor for a vote.
HB 2068/SB 5965Concerning the environmental impacts of fashion. Fashion retail sellers or fashion manufacturers with annual worldwide gross income greater than $100,000,000 must disclose its environmental due diligence policies, processes, and outcomes, including significant real or potential adverse environmental impacts and then disclose targets for prevention and improvement. Championed by Rep. Mena and Senator Nguyen. This bill was heard in respective policy committees (Senate Environment, Energy & Technology Committee and House Energy & Environment Committee) and was not passed out of either committee.
HB 2070/SB 5990 Integrating environmental justice considerations into certain project decisions. The Cumulative Risk Burden of Pollution Act (CURB) will require monitoring of pollutants that affect health but are not currently addressed; Specify communities that have been disproportionately harmed by pollution for specific protections; Require the Department of Ecology to deny new permit applications that add cumulative pollution effects and work with applicants seeking permit renewals that add cumulative pollution effects, with the goal to reduce pollution over time; Elevate voices of community members through frontline community participation in the permit evaluations process. Championed by Rep Mena and Sen Lovelett. The House bill was referred to Appropriations without any action.
HB 2144 Providing for a deposit return program for qualifying beverage containers to be implemented by a distributor responsibility organization. Would establish a Deposit Return System for Qualifying beverage container (any separate, sealed glass, metal, or plastic bottle or can, that contains any beverage intended for human consumption, and in a quantity of greater than four ounces and less than or equal to one gallon. Excludes dairy and baby formula containers. Similar to program in Oregon. Sponsored by Rep Stonier. This bill was referred to House Rules and did not get placed for a floor vote.
HB 2401 Providing for the responsible management of appliances containing harmful gases and other materials. Creates a producer responsibility program for appliances. Representative Davina Duerr. Passed off House floor (57-40-0-1) on February 9, 2024. This bill had a public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means with no action.
SB 6163 Concerning biosolids. Ecology must establish pollutant limits for PFAS chemicals in biosolids, based on the results of the USEPA’s risk assessment for PFAS chemicals in biosolids. Ecology must ensure that biosolids are tested for PFAS chemicals for which this pollutant limit has been established. And land application of biosolids that do not comply with the PFAS chemical pollutant limit would be prohibited. Led by J. Wilson. This bill passed the Senate (49-0-0-0) and then died in the House.Bills for Which the League had Concerns
An alternative to the ReWRAP Act:
HB 1900 Implementing strategies to achieve higher recycling rates within Washington’s existing solid waste management system. Championed by Rep Fey, this bill does not have EPR component. It was heard in the House Committee on Environment & Energy with no action.
- If you are interested in a particular bill, use the links above to go to the webpage for that bill. These pages include staff summaries and reports including who testified PRO versus CON on the bill. There is also information about how to access videos of hearings that have been held.
- If you do nothing else, please scan the LWVWA Legislative Action Newsletter each week (it's distributed each Sunday during the legislative session) and respond to the Action Alerts .
- If you have more time and are interested in a particular topic, we always appreciate and can use your assessments of bills, law implementation, and future concerns. For Forests topics send assessments of a few paragraphs to a few pages and include the sources of the facts you rely on. Send them to Ann Murphy, Waste Diversion Issue Chair.
- Join the LWVWA Environment Action group by emailing Ann Murphy.