OLYMPIA — Sick of seeing litter and plastic waste detract from Washington’s natural beauty, Rep. Monica Stonier (D-Vancouver) is sponsoring HB 1607 to address the issue. The Recycling Refunds Act, scheduled for hearing in the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, 1/21 at 4:00 PM, helps ensure plastic waste ends up where it belongs and not in our public spaces.
“We’ve seen recycling rates soar in states and countries that have a recycling refund program,” said Rep. Stonier. “And the benefits go far beyond reducing the amount of waste we send to our landfills.”
Washington’s current recycling rate hovers around 50%, but a recycling refund program could boost rates significantly, keeping valuable materials in the recycling loop to be cleaned and reused instead of ending up on the side of the road or dumped in a park or marine environment.
Right now the state spends about $12 million every year to clean up more than 26 million pounds of litter along highways and roadways. A refund program incentivizes recycling, reducing the state’s cleanup cost.
“This is a commonsense plan with a multitude of benefits – including saving taxpayers’ money,” Rep. Stonier said. “In a tough budget year, even the small savings add up.”
The Recycling Refunds Act would set up a deposit refund system on plastic, aluminum, or glass containers with convenient drop-off sites in retail parking lots and participating stores around the community.
“Getting litter out of the environment isn’t just about improving the scenery,” said Rep. Stonier. “It improves our waterways, allowing marine life to thrive. Reducing plastic pollution will help our farmers and fishermen whose livelihood depends on the health of the environment.”