Are We Wasting Our Time and Money? Big Washington State Recycling Changes Coming

Are We Wasting Our Time and Money in Washington State? Revamping Washington's Recycling System.

Is Washington State’s New Recycling Plan the Solution We’ve Been Waiting For?

Having lived in the Tri-Cities for over 20 years, I can see how people are frustrated with our local recycling system. Right now, it’s a mess with no standard between Kennewic, Richland, and Pasco.

Some neighborhoods in one city will have curbside recycling, while others won’t. Some of us can recycle plastics and cardboard, while others are stuck with only a few options. It’s confusing, and most people I talk to feel like it’s all a waste of time. I also wonder if the products picked up are actually recycled or if they are just put back into the landfill.

It looks like Washington is finally trying to fix some of these issues with Senate Bill 5284. It proposes some pretty big changes to how we handle recycling and hopes to create a more uniform system across the state. If passed, everyone would get the same level of service.

Why Washington’s Recycling Overhaul Could Change the Game for Tri-Cities Residents

The big idea behind the bill is to make companies, not individual people, pay for recycling. It’s called Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Instead of local governments footing the bill for curbside collection and sorting, businesses that make products with packaging or paper will have to pick up the tab. Yes, I know that financial experts warn that cost will eventually be put back onto the consumer.

Senate Bill 5284 and Its Impact on Local Recycling

This all sounds good on paper, but the bill is not planned to be implemented until 2030. That’s still years away. In the meantime, we’re left wondering whether the system is actually going to work as promised and whether it will cost us more in the long run.