John,

In Washington, more than 50% of our consumer packaging and paper ends up in landfills or gets incinerated. Access to convenient, affordable recycling is also an issue: only 58% of municipalities offer curbside recycling services in Washington, and in central Washington, 77% of households don’t have access to curbside recycling services.   

We can do better. We must do better.

Fortunately, the state legislature is now considering the Washington Recycling and Packaging (WRAP) Act SB5154 and HB1131, introduced by Sen. Christine Rolfes and Rep. Liz Berry.

The WRAP Act would modernize our recycling system and incentivize companies to reduce the amount of polluting packaging they use by shifting the costs of recycling from Washington cities, towns, and residents back to the companies that make packaging decisions in the first place. 

It would help expand recycling services across the state, and make recycling less confusing by creating one list of what people can put in their curbside recycling bins, that is the same all across the state.

The Environmental Committees of the State House and Senate are scheduled to vote on the WRAP Act this week, but industry lobbyists are pushing hard to weaken key parts of the bill. Your legislators need to hear from you.

Thank you for taking action,

Darcy Nonemacher (she/her)
Government Affairs Director
Washington Conservation Action

Washington Environmental Council and Washington Conservation Voters are now unified under one brand, Washington Conservation Action.