Proposed Bill Would Make Manufacturers Responsible for Plastic Waste

Washington state officials are considering legislation that would prohibit the use of single-use plastic carryout bags and make manufacturers responsible for plastic waste.

The legislation being considered, House Bill 1204, would require a producer of plastic packaging to participate in a stewardship organization by 2022 or quit using packaging made in whole or in part from plastics, Food Dive reports.

Food Dive has more details:

Legislation being considered in the Washington State House of Representatives would require "a producer of plastic packaging" to participate in a stewardship organization by 2022 or quit using packaging made in whole or in part from plastics. House Bill 1204 currently sits in the House Committee on Environment & Energy, which held a public hearing on the bill Feb. 7.

The Senate version, Senate Bill 5397, came before the Senate Environment, Energy & Technology Committee on Feb. 7. The committee substituted the similar bill SB 5323, and sent it to the Ways and Means Committee, which held a public hearing on Feb. 25.

The bill in the Senate would prohibit the use of single-use plastic carryout bags, require a pass-through charge to consumers for recycled content paper carryout bags and reusable carryout bags made of film plastic, and encourage reusable and recycled content paper carryout bags by retail establishments.

Read the full article here.