Olympia, Washington. – A new law that aims to improve solid waste management in Washington is through legislation.
Proponents say that the Senate Bill 5284 highlights the lack of comfortable and affordable recycling options for residents, especially in rural areas and apartment buildings. It would ask the producers to take responsibility for the entire life cycle of their products, from design to disposal. This includes implementing recycling programs on the side of the road to make recycling accessible and affordable nationwide.
Kristoff Mayer, Political Coordinator of the Washington State Labor Council AFL-CIO, said during the public hearing of the law in the Senate. She said that the proposed mandate would lead to better waste disposal practices.
“This legislation will expand the recycling service of the curb to over half a million new households and improve the effectiveness of the state's recycling system. This calculation also creates environmentally friendly local jobs, the facilities for the management of additional recyclable materials, the trucks for collecting recycling and sorting the materials in restoration facilities.” Mayer said to House committee for the environment and energy on March 17th.
Kennewick Senator Matt Boehnke refuses to Financial responsibility from cities and counties to producers.
“Instead of making recycling more efficient, this very complex calculation creates a costly bureaucracy that burdens small companies with higher costs for business,” said Boehnke in a press release. “Food prices are already high, and this calculation would drive them even higher and hurt families.”
The senator also expressed concerns about the control and the power that the not chosen civil servants were given by which were given Producer responsibility organization (Pro) System. He explained: “This is a bad policy and for the economy in Washington.”
The law was a controversial topic in the Senate, but it was coordinated with a vote of 27-22.
The house committee for the environment and energy on March 1 will continue with the bill after the public hearing on March 17th.