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You can find information on Washington State Plastic Packaging Management Study here.  

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Background

In 2019, the Washington Legislature passed the Plastic Packaging Evaluation and Assessment law (Chapter 70A.520 RCW). The law states that producers of plastic packaging should consider the design and management of their packaging in a manner that ensures minimal environmental impact. Producers of plastic packaging should be involved from design concept to end-of-life management to incentivize innovation and research to minimize environmental impacts. The law sets goals that, by January 2025: 

• All plastic packaging sold into the state is 100% recyclable, reusable, or compostable.
• Plastic packaging in all goods contains at least 20% percent post-consumer recycled content.
• Plastic packaging is reduced when possible, optimizing the use to meet the need.

The law directed the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) to hire an independent third-party contractor to conduct a study of the impacts of plastic packaging in Washington and develop recommendations for managing it. The report and recommendations are due to the Legislature by October 31, 2020.*

What will be studied?

The Study will look at:

• The amount and types of plastic packaging produced in or entering the state.
• The costs of managing plastic packaging waste, including costs to ratepayers, businesses, and local governments.
• Where plastic packaging waste ends up at the end of its life.
• An estimate of future infrastructure needed to manage plastic packaging.
• A review of domestic or international efforts and methods to reduce, reuse, and recycle plastic packaging.
• Proposals to meet the goals of reducing plastic packaging in the waste stream in Washington.

Study Implementation

Ecology hired Cascadia Consulting (Cascadia), an independent consultant, to conduct the Study. In the spring of 2020, Cascadia will collect data and conduct a study of how plastic packaging is managed in Washington. Over the summer, Cascadia and Ecology will develop proposals and options for legislative consideration to meet plastic packaging reduction goals. In addition to the research, Ecology and Cascadia will consult with stakeholders. 

Recommendations

UPDATE (9/14/2020): The final Recommendations for Managing Plastic Packaging Waste in Washington are now available for download. The consultant team used feedback submitted on the draft recommendations to finalize these recommendations. Ecology will now use these recommendations to submit their report to the Legislature in response to Chapter 70A.520 RCW.

UPDATE (8/14/2020): The DRAFT Recommendations for Managing Plastic Packaging Waste in Washington are now available for download. Please use this form to submit specific feedback by 11:59 pm PDT on August 26, 2020. We are using this form to gather feedback on levels of support, suggested alternatives, and associated funding mechanisms for the draft policy recommendations. The consultant team will accept and review all feedback on the draft recommendations received via this form by 11:59 pm PDT on Wednesday, August 26 and use it to refine and finalize recommendations. 

We will also continue to accept general public comments via the Study’s public comment page through September 4 (the public comment period is now closed). These public comments, and all other input received throughout the course of the Study, will become part of the public record and be included in the task-level report summarizing the stakeholder consultation process. However, any public comments or forms received after August 26 on the draft recommendations may not be specifically considered by the consultant team as we finalize recommendations. The final recommendations and the report summarizing the stakeholder consultation process will be submitted to Ecology on September 14.

Study Updates

*Please note that timelines for some deliverables have shifted back slightly from those contained in the project scope of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The original scope of work and a project timeline are available in the documents section below. The timeline will be updated as needed, and any study updates or notifications of deliverables publication will be sent to the Study email list.

UPDATE (10/1/2020): The final task-level sub-report (Task 4) Plastic Packaging Management Study Stakeholder Consultation Process is available for download. This report summarizes the stakeholder consultation process and includes all communications to stakeholders, stakeholder comments, and other input received throughout the Study. 

UPDATE (8/6/2020): The third task-level sub-report (Task 1) Plastic Packaging in Washington: Assessing Use, Disposal, and Management is available for download. This report compiles research and analysis on plastic packaging material quantities, flows, and disposal in Washington, as well as current programs and costs for managing plastic packaging. 

UPDATE (6/3/2020): The second task-level sub-report (Task 2) Recycled Content Use in Washington: Assessing Demand, Barriers, and Opportunities is available for download. This report compiles research on plastic manufacturers in Washington and their use of recycled content, as well as barriers and opportunities for expanding use of post-consumer resin (PCR) in products and packaging.

UPDATE (5/20/2020): The first task-level sub-report (Task 3) Successful Plastic Packaging Management Programs and Innovations and executive summary are now available for download. This report compiles research on policy and technology options and innovations for managing plastic packaging waste and highlights several examples from programs and companies in Europe and North America.

We have developed a survey to gather feedback on the options identified in the reports and encourage suggestions for additional strategies to manage plastic packaging. The survey will close at midnight on Monday, June 15. Survey responses and public comments will be considered in the development of final recommendations to the Legislature for reducing plastic packaging in the waste stream. 

The survey is available at the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WAPlasticPkgStudy. (This survey is now closed.)

For more information contact:

Alli Kingfisher, Department of Ecology

Alli.Kingfisher@ecy.wa.gov or (509) 960-1290

Sign up for the email list to receive updates.

Note that all received input will become part of the public record, and may be posted on the web, or otherwise included in reports and output from the Study.