What’s next for Washington in the fight against plastic pollution

Washington has long been a leader in reducing plastic pollution, and we have a chance to raise the bar even higher in 2023.

On Jan. 10, Environment Washington Advocate Pam Clough testified before the state Legislature in support of a newly introduced bill that would curb a number of sources of unnecessary and hard-to-manage plastic waste. HB 1085 would, among other measures, cut down on waste from single-use plastic water bottles by requiring refill stations in commercials buildings that already require water fountains, and reduce the amount of plastic pollution threatening our marine wildlife by banning plastic foam-filled docks, rafts and floats statewide.

“Washington’s passage of the nation’s strongest restrictions on single-use polystyrene foam products back in 2021 was just the beginning,” said Pam. “There’s always more we can do to protect our wildlife and our environment from the scourge of plastic pollution — and HB 1085 would mark another big step in the right direction.”