What’s new on the ReWRAP Act?

Washingtonians are inundated with excess single-use packaging, plastic and otherwise, and Washington’s waste management systems haven’t been able to keep up. In Washington, more than 50% of consumer packaging and paper products are landfilled or incinerated, wasting an extraordinary amount of material that could have been recycled,  offsetting the need for extracting more fossil fuels to make plastic, mining the earth for metals, or cutting down more trees for creating paper products. 

As stated in a recent Seattle Times opinion piece, the ReWRAP Act (HB 2049/SB 6005) “addresses the key issue undermining local governments’ best efforts to improve our recycling rate — the lack of responsibility on the part of companies that make packaging and paper products.” You can read more about extended producer responsibility for paper and packaging here. 

The ReWRAP Act continues to advance through the legislative process. HB 2049 was advanced out of policy committee last week and has been referred for consideration by the House Appropriations committee. The Senate Energy, Environment and Technology Committee held a hearing for the ReWRAP Act this past Tuesday, January 23rd, at 1:30 PM. You can view the hearing here. 

On January 15th, constituents from around Washington attended our Lobby Day and met with legislators to convey strong support for the ReWRAP Act. Washingtonians want to see producers held accountable for the end-of-life costs of their packaging, rather than costs falling on Washington residents. 

With the legislative session in full swing, it is critical that we continue to advocate for producer funded recycling in Washington. Give your legislator a call today to support the ReWRAP Act!

How To Call Your Legislators

The best way to contact your legislators is to call the legislative hotline: 1-800-562-6000, which operates from 8 am to 7 pm M-F. The operator will ask for your zip code and the message you would like to leave for your legislator.

Sample Calling Script

My name is XXXX XXXX and I live in [town]. I’m calling to ask for your support in establishing a producer responsibility program in Washington to reduce the growing amount of plastic and other hard-to-manage packaging and improve recycling here in Washington. Thank you!