Washington state’s WRAP Act, which included major EPR for packaging and bottle bill provisions, will not move forward this year after failing to make it out of committee before a key deadline.
The legislation gained attention as a significant overhaul to Washington’s recycling system, but waste industry opposition contributed to it dying in committee before a key deadline.
The Washington Recycling And Packaging Act would have established an extended producer responsibility program for certain packaging and paper and would have created a container deposit system with a 10-cent deposit value. Other provisions included recycling and reuse targets, “truthful labeling” rules and minimum recycled content standards for items like plastic thermoform containers, food tubs and single-use cups. The state in 2021 passed a recycled content law for certain beverage containers, personal care products and trash bags.