H-3253.1
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2271
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2026 Regular Session
By House Environment & Energy (originally sponsored by Representatives Berry, Duerr, Mena, Reed, Ramel, Fitzgibbon, Parshley, Street, Kloba, Doglio, Gregerson, Macri, Fosse, and Pollet)
READ FIRST TIME 02/03/26.
AN ACT Relating to postconsumer recycled content requirements for plastic products; amending RCW 70A.245.010 , 70A.245.020 , 70A.245.030 , 70A.245.040 , 70A.245.050 , 70A.245.090 , 70A.245.120 , 70A.245.060 , and 70A.245.110 ; reenacting and amending RCW 43.21B.110 ; adding new sections to chapter 70A.245 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 39.26 RCW; creating a new section; and providing an expiration date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature finds that setting minimum levels of recycled content requirements for a suite of plastic packaging and products is an effective solution to provide both environmental and economic benefits. Minimum recycled content requirements, including those already required under state law for beverage containers, household and personal care product containers, and plastic trash bags, reduce plastic waste and the harmful impacts of fossil fuel extraction used to produce virgin plastic. Such requirements support diversion from landfills as postconsumer plastic materials are kept in use to produce new products. As recycled plastic usage increases, virgin plastic usage decreases along with the significant energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions associated with its production and extraction from fossil fuels.
(2) The legislature also finds that additional minimum recycled content requirements are needed to further stimulate the recycled plastics economy by increasing and stabilizing demand for recycled resins, strengthening recycled commodity values, and increasing economic growth, opportunity, and jobs creation in the plastics recycling industry. Recycled content standards support stronger community recycling programs by providing a market for recycled content within the state, region, and country. Stronger markets could expand the amount and types of plastics recycled, and can increase public trust in recycling by ensuring collected recyclables are made back into new products through local and domestic manufacturing.