Press "Enter" to skip to content

Senate Passes Das Bill to Promote Recycling and Reduce Expanded Polystyrene

Advertisement

The Senate approved legislation to require increased recycled content in plastic beverage containers, trash bags and bottles for household products; ban expanded polystyrene food ware, recreational coolers and packing peanuts; and require that utensils, straws, cup lids and condiments only be provided to customers on request.

SB 5022, sponsored by Sen. Mona Das (D-Kent), builds on a bill Das championed in 2020 that banned thin plastic carry-out bags and required that thicker plastic bags consist of 40% post-consumer recycled content.

Advertisement

“Plastic and expanded polystyrene have become huge problems,” said Das, “not only for the damage that plastic and foam waste does to our beautiful Washington landscape and wildlife, but also because they are a growing part of our state’s solid waste management challenge.

State Senator Mona Das
Senator Mona Das (D-Kent, 47th District) | Courtesy Photo

“That’s why the Washington Legislature has taken groundbreaking steps in recent years to address the problem of plastic and why continuing that progress is so important.”

Addressing plastic and, especially, expanded polystyrene is popular with the public. A recent Public Policy Polling survey of bipartisan participants in Colorado, Florida, Maine, and Washington state found that upwards of 76% would like to see more legislation to reduce plastic and water pollution. A majority (57%) of people surveyed say they support a statewide ban on foam takeout containers, while just 26% say they oppose it.

SB 5022 would require beverage manufacturers to meet progressively greater levels of post-consumer recycled content in their plastic containers, averaged across all sales and distribution. This would apply to most beverages in containers sized between 2 ounces and a gallon and would exempt infant formula or medical foods. It would also exempt some containers like refillable containers, wine bladders, and medical products.

Advertisement

By 2023, at least 15% of a product’s weight would need to be recycled content, increasing to 25% by 2026 and 50% by 2031. Dairy milk containers would be extended an additional five years. Similar standards would be established for recycled content in bottles and jugs (from 8 ounces to 5 gallons) for household cleaning and personal care products. Certain standards would apply to plastic trash bags. Recycled content standards for plastic trash bags start at 10% in 2023, 15% in 2025, and 20% in and after 2027. Biomedical and dangerous waste bags would be exempted.

In regards to expanded polystyrene, the sale or distribution of the following products would be prohibited beginning June 2023: most portable coolers, most food service ware and containers, and expanded polystyrene packing peanuts. This expanded polystyrene prohibition is very similar to SB 6213, legislation that passed the Senate in 2020.

The bill would also require that food service businesses provide plastic utensils, straws, condiment packaging and cup lids only upon request, beginning in 2022, with some exceptions made for hot beverage lids, drive-throughs, and delivery services.

Advertisement

The bill now moves on to consideration in the House.


The above is a press release from the Washington State Senate Democrats.  The Auburn Examiner has not independently verified its contents and encourages our readers to personally verify any information they find may be overly biased or questionable. The publication of this press release does not indicate an endorsement of its content. 
Advertisement
More from PoliticsMore posts in Politics »
Advertisement

Be First to Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

WP2Social Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com