Top: Graphic courtesy Upstream

Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson signed Washington’s Recycling Reform Act (Senate Bill 5284) into law in mid-May. The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law “updates the state’s recycling system and reduces unnecessary packaging, funds statewide collection services, and ensures materials put in curbside bins are recycled,” notes a Zero Waste Washington press release. The new law covers packaging and paper products, including beverage containers. It requires establishment of a producer responsibility organization (PRO) by January 1, 2026, funded by manufacturers and consumer brands, with a goal of bringing financial sustainability and investment in the recycling system across the state.

While similar EPR laws have been adopted by Maine, Oregon, Colorado, California, Minnesota, and Maryland, Washington’s differs from the other states in that it includes a fund dedicated to supporting reuse systems such as refillable soda bottles and durable, reusable take-out container systems. Explains Upstream, a reuse advocacy organization: “The PRO will collect an annual fee from producers that must incentivize reusable packaging (among other waste reduction goals). Performance targets for the program will include an overall market share of reusable packaging as well as accompanying return rates, and beginning in 2029, the PRO must annually fund and implement a Reuse Financial Assistance Program — a statewide fund dedicated to supporting the build-out of reuse systems.”