H-3691.2  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1720

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      53rd Legislature     1994 Regular Session

By House Committee on Environmental Affairs (originally sponsored by Representatives J. Kohl, Horn, Rust, Flemming, Hansen, Foreman, Van Luven, Roland, L. Johnson, Edmondson, Bray and Cothern)

Read first time 02/02/94.

Prohibiting plastic bottles and rigid plastic containers from being labeled recyclable.

    AN ACT Relating to plastics labeling; amending RCW 70.95F.030; adding a new section to chapter 70.95 RCW; and repealing RCW 70.95F.020.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 70.95F RCW to read as follows:

    (1) On or after January 1, 1997, all plastic bottles and rigid plastic containers offered for sale shall be labeled with a standardized code that indicates the resin used to produce the rigid plastic bottle or rigid plastic container.  The code shall be based upon, but not specifically limited to, the international standard 11469 "Generic Identification and Marketing of Plastic Products" coding system developed by the international organization for standardization (ISO).

    (2) On or after January 1, 1997, plastic bottles and rigid plastic containers offered for sale shall not be labeled with a resin identification code other than that in subsection (1) of this section.

    (3) On or after January 1, 1997, plastic bottles or rigid plastic containers shall not be labeled with a code stating or implying recyclability with a symbol consisting of three triangulated arrows.

    Sec. 2.  RCW 70.95F.030 and 1991 c 319 s 105 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) A person who, after written notice from the department, violates ((RCW 70.95F.020)) section 1 of this act is subject to a civil penalty of fifty dollars for each violation up to a maximum of five hundred dollars and may be enjoined from continuing violations.  Each distribution constitutes a separate offense.

    (2) Retailers and distributors shall have two years from May 21, ((1991)) 1997, to clear current inventory, delivered or received and held in their possession as of May 21, ((1991)) 1997.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  RCW 70.95F.020 and 1991 c 319 s 104 are each repealed, effective January 1, 1997.

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