Today, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed a bill into law that creates a statewide Extended Producer Responsibility system which makes producers of packaging financially responsible for collecting, sorting, recycling, and reusing the materials they put on the market. The enactment of the Recycling Reform Act, sponsored by Washington state Representative Liz Berry and Senator Liz Lovelett, follows adoption of similar Extended Producer Responsibility policies in other states across the country, including Minnesota and Colorado. Over 500 World Wildlife Fund (WWF) supporters in Washington state urged their legislators to support the Recycling Reform Act’s passage.
In response, WWF issued the following statement from Alejandro Pérez, senior vice president, policy and government affairs:
“More than 50 percent of consumer packaging and paper products in Washington state end up in landfills or incinerated, wasting millions of dollars on materials that otherwise could have remained in valuable supply chains. Washington’s enactment of the Recycling Reform Act will now incentivize businesses to use more renewable packaging so that natural treasures from the Puget Sound to Mount Rainier are free of plastic.
"Washingtonians deserve to know that the materials they intend to recycle do in fact get recycled. Environmental groups, major brands, and retailers alike support the Recycling Reform Act because the status quo of letting plastic waste wind up in our rivers, oceans, and landfills simply hasn’t made sense for business, consumers, or the planet. The adoption of Extended Producer Responsibility in states like Washington will help expand recycling access for all and reduce the plastic waste polluting our environment.”