Seventh US state backs packaging EPR

Washington has become the latest US state to enact legislation for an extended producer responsibility (EPR) regime.

The Recyling Reform Act was signed into law by Governor Bob Ferguson who called it the ‘biggest overhaul of our recycling system in decades.’ The ‘milestone’ law and recycling programme will be fully enforced by January 2030.

Washington is now the seventh state to adopt EPR following Maine, Oregon, California, Colorado, Minnesota, and Maryland. The entire US west coast is now covered.

What’s the impact?

The law establishes an EPR system for household paper and packaging products:

• Producers must join a Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) by 1 July 2026.
• A requirement on PROs to develop, implement and finance the programme with oversight from the state’s Department of Ecology and an advisory council.
• A mandatory statewide collection list and kerbside recycling for households that already have a garbage service, potentially expanding access to hundreds of thousands of residents.
• Producers paying into the scheme, eventually reimbursing at least 90% of the programme costs, will do so in phases – 50% by 15 February 2030, 75% by 15 February 2031 and 90% by 15 February 2032.
• Exemptions for certain food and medical packaging, and for materials with a reuse/recycling rate of 65% over three consecutive years. This will increase to 70% in 2030.
• Recyclers processing around 25 000 tonnes per year to pay workers a ‘minimum industry standard compensation’ from 2028.

‘Major victory‘

‘We’ve spent years working on this policy,’ says Adrian Tan, co-chair of the Northwest Product Stewardship Council. ‘We learned from best practices around the world and the other states that have passed EPR for packaging. We’ve adapted it so that it would work for producers and the state’s waste management system.’

The policy is a ‘smart, scalable solution’ that will improve recycling, reduce waste and level the playing field nationwide, according to Scott Cassel, ceo of the Product Stewardship Institute.

‘This landmark law marks another major victory for producer responsibility in the US. Washington’s leadership sends a clear message: the time has come for producers to take meaningful responsibility for the packaging they put into the marketplace.’