Washington
WA lawmakers look at making packaging producers pay for recycling • Washington State Standard
Washington’s recycling system may soon get a makeover.
A proposal to require companies to reduce unnecessary packaging and fund statewide recycling services is making its way through the Legislature this year.
The goal is to give more people the opportunity to recycle more types of products and to incentivize packaging producers to use sustainable materials, said bill sponsor Rep. Liz Berry, D-Seattle. Currently, what can be recycled differs by city, and 11 counties have no recycling services at all. Under this proposal, everyone in the state would use the same system.
“Recycling will become really affordable, really convenient and really equitable,” Berry told the Standard. “It will create this circular, sustainable economic model for recyclable materials.”
Berry’s bill is similar to laws passed recently in Maine, Oregon, California, Colorado and Minnesota. Different versions of the legislation have been debated in Washington during the past two years but never became law.
Under the program, manufacturers, brands and importers must join a statewide “producer responsibility organization.”
Producers are required to pay membership fees to that organization to cover the cost of a new recycling system. Fees vary based on the types of products a company uses. If a producer uses more sustainable materials, for example, they would likely pay less.
If a producer does not want to join the statewide organization, they must register as an individual and pay annual fees to the state.
A national producer responsibility organization already exists to help implement this type of system in California, Colorado and Maryland.
By March 2029, producers who are not members of the organization or registered with the state could not sell their products in Washington.
Under the bill, the Department of Ecology would develop a list of recyclable materials in Washington. Most plastic packaging and paper products sold, distributed or shipped into and within the state would likely be covered.
The Department of Ecology would also work on a new education campaign — paid for by producer fees — to make sure all residents know what products they can recycle.
Brenda Fincher, a Kent City Council member, said that the statewide education piece will help clear up confusion.
“It’s uncountable the number of times that I’ve heard that recycling is not happening or that everything can be recycled,” Fincher said at a Thursday press conference. “It’s confusing for the residents right now.”
There would be some exemptions under the proposal. Government entities and charitable organizations would not have to take part. Packaging on infant formula, nutritional supplements, medical equipment and drugs, and hazardous products would be among those not covered.
If the bill passes, residents could expect to see a change in how they recycle within the next five years, Berry said. The program would be fully implemented within 10 years of passage.
‘Streamlined’ bill
This year’s proposal is supported by environmental groups, cities and counties, labor unions, medical professionals and some producers.
Dr. Mark Vossler, with Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, said plastic pollution is having negative health effects, especially for those who live close to industrial sites.
“This is a tremendous environmental justice concern,” Vossler said at a Thursday press conference. “Accountability measures will incentivize companies to move away from toxic or harmful packaging materials.”
Berry said she is hopeful this is the year the proposal finally passes. This version is “shorter and more streamlined” than in the past, and it’s mostly based on the Minnesota bill that became law last year and had broad support, she said.
Berry added that she’s worked on the bill for years and has found many compromises with those who were previously opposed.
“I’m really hoping that members of the Legislature will see how isolated the opposition is at this point and understand that what we’re trying to do is something positive for our state,” she said.
The bill is expected to receive a public hearing in the House Environment and Energy Committee on Tuesday.
Pushback
Despite broad support, the legislation could still run into stiff opposition, particularly from manufacturers, businesses and waste management companies.
Rep. Mary Dye, R-Pomeroy, said in a statement that she and other Republicans have concerns that the bill would enact “expensive mandates” that could increase costs for consumers.
“I believe we need to spend wisely by targeting investments to underperforming counties to increase recycling,” Dye said. “We do not need to put new fee increases on packaged products during our current affordability crisis.”
Dye is among those supporting a different recycling bill that does not require businesses to pay.
That proposal would require producers to register and report their paper products and packaging to the Department of Ecology, which would create a public list of recyclable materials. The bill would also set new standards for how much recyclable material must be in certain products. And it would provide recycling discounts for low-income households.
Rep. Jake Fey, D-Tacoma, is sponsoring this other bill, which has bipartisan support. In a hearing on Thursday, it received backing from business groups, waste management companies, and food and hospitality organizations. Local government organizations, environmental groups and utilities were among those who testified against the bill.
Cold Spring Harbor played Port Washington in a Nassau boys lacrosse game on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
Credit: David Meisenholder
Andrew Ioannou of Cold Spring Harbor shoots against Port Washington during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
Credit: David Meisenholder
Daniel Touhy of Cold Spring Harbor changes direction while looking to evade the Port Washington defense during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
Credit: David Meisenholder
Max Eynon of Port Washington makes a save against Cold Spring Harbor during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
Credit: David Meisenholder
Matt Kammer of Cold Spring Harbor deflects a shot for a save against Port Washington during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
Credit: David Meisenholder
Colby Koeningsberger of Cold Spring Harbor advances the ball against Port Washington during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
Credit: David Meisenholder
Rex O’Connor of Cold Spring Harbor controls the ball late in the 4th quarter against Port Washington during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
Credit: David Meisenholder
Andrew Ioannou of Cold Spring Harbor runs past Jimmy Gannon of Port Washington during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
Credit: David Meisenholder
Dylan Reilly, left, and Rex O’Connor of Cold Spring Harbor celebrate after a goal during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
Credit: David Meisenholder
Dylan Reilly of Cold Spring Harbor rips a shot on goal against Port Washington during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
Credit: David Meisenholder
Colby Koeningsberger #2 of Cold spring harbor looks for an open teammate to pass to against Port Washington during a league 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Credit: David Meisenholder
Andrew Ioannou of Cold Spring Harbor looks to dodge Jimmy Gannon of Port Washington during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
Credit: David Meisenholder
Rex O’Connor, left, and Jake Telesco of Cold Spring Harbor celebrate after a goal against Port Washington during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
Credit: David Meisenholder
Dylan Reilly of Cold Spring Harbor controls the ball against Port Washington during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
Credit: David Meisenholder
Roy Testa of Cold Spring harbor looks for an open teammate against Port Washington during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
Credit: David Meisenholder
Roy Testa of Cold Spring Harbor advances the ball against Port Washington during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
Credit: David Meisenholder
Jake Feinstein of Port Washington puts pressure on Rex O’Connor of Cold Spring Harbor during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
Credit: David Meisenholder
Rex O’Connor of Cold Spring Harbor looks to dodge the Port Washington defense during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
Credit: David Meisenholder
Harry Eynon of Port Washington comes around the crease against Cold Spring Harbor during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
Credit: David Meisenholder
Goalie Matt Kammer of Cold Spring Harbor advances the ball after a save against Port Washington during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
An aviation safety bill seeking to address lessons learned from last year’s midair collision of a jet with an Army helicopter near the nation’s capital is up for a vote Tuesday evening in the House, but key senators and the families of the 67 victims think the bill needs to be strengthened.
The House bill, called the Alert Act, has the backing of key industry groups. The National Transportation Safety Board said recently that the legislation, since amended, now addresses its recommendation to require all aircraft flying around busy airports to have key locator systems that let pilots know more precisely where other aircraft are flying around them.
The NTSB has been recommending the new technology systems since 2008, and Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy has said such a system would have prevented the collision of the American Airlines jet and Army Black Hawk helicopter that sent both aircraft plunging into the icy Potomac River.
Two key House committees unanimously advanced the bill last month. The bill is now being brought up for a full House vote under rules that won’t allow any amendments. But victims’ families said they want to make sure the bill has strict timelines to guarantee the reforms will be completed. And they worry the House bill would allow military flights to continue flying without broadcasting their locations on routine training flights and not just secret missions.
“January 29, 2025 made clear what is at stake. The 67 lives lost that day should be honored with an improved system that prevents this from happening again,” the main families group said Tuesday in a new statement. “And the flying public should not have to wait longer than necessary for those protections to be in place.”
Sponsored by Republican Sam Graves and Democrat Rick Larens, the legislation needs to secure two thirds of House support to advance to the Senate. Separate legislation called the ROTOR Act that the Senate crafted came up one vote short in the House. Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell have also said the Alert Act still needs to be improved.
Earlier this year, the NTSB’s Homendy sharply criticized the original version of the bill as a “watered down” measure that wouldn’t do enough to prevent future tragedies. But the board said the revised version would now address the shortcomings their investigation identified and require the Federal Aviation Administration, Transportation Department and the military to take needed actions.
National Transportation Safety Board members at a hearing in late January were deeply troubled over years of ignored warnings about helicopter traffic dangers and other problems, long before the collision.
Everyone aboard the American Airlines jet, flying from Wichita, Kansas, and the helicopter died when the two aircraft collided. It was the deadliest plane crash on U.S. soil since 2001, and the victims included 28 members of the figure skating community.
A helicopter route in the approach path of a Reagan National Airport runway didn’t ensure enough separation between helicopters and planes landing on the airport’s secondary runway, and the route wasn’t reviewed regularly, the board said. The poor design of that route was a key factor in the crash along with air traffic controllers relying too much on pilots seeing and avoiding other aircraft.
The bill now requires planes to have Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast In systems that can receive data about the locations of other aircraft. Proponents of the use of such systems said they would have alerted the pilots of an American Airlines jet sooner about the impending collision with the Black Hawk helicopter. Most planes already have the complementary ADS-B Out systems that broadcast their locations.
The NTSB cited systemic weaknesses and years of ignored warnings as the main causes of the crash, but Homendy has said that if both the plane and the Black Hawk had been equipped with ADS-B In and the systems had been turned on, the collision would have been prevented. The Army’s policy at the time of the crash mandated that its helicopters fly without that system on to conceal their locations, although the helicopter involved in this crash was on a training flight, not a sensitive mission.
Fred Hutch Cancer Center’s Community Grants Program has recently awarded 10 cancer prevention projects across Washington state up to $15,000 each, for a total of $145,500. These dollars will support community-led solutions for cancer prevention, screening and education, particularly for historically underserved populations.
Since it began in 2014, the Community Grants Program, overseen by Fred Hutch’s Office of Community Outreach & Engagement (OCOE), has awarded 71 grants totaling nearly $700,000.
Record interest highlights growing need
This 2026-2027 grant cycle drew a record number of project proposals for the second year in a row, reflecting both a growing awareness of the program and the continued need for locally driven cancer prevention initiatives.
The awardees come from all regions in Washington state, ranging from Whidbey Island in the west to the Spokane region in the east to the Yakama reservation in Central Washington.
The year’s funding focuses on projects designed to address socio-economic drivers of health, or SDOH, such as housing instability and transportation access.
“When you’re worried about paying rent or finding transportation, getting a cancer screening is often the last thing on your mind,” said Katie Treend, MPH, community benefit manager for OCOE. “That’s why these projects are so important — they support cancer prevention and whole-person health by meeting people where they are at.”
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