HOUSE BILL REPORT

SHB 1784

BYHouse Committee on Ways & Means/Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Pruitt, Sprenkle, Ferguson, Rust, D. Sommers, Unsoeld, Valle, Brekke, Jesernig and Todd)

Encouraging state purchasing of recovered materials.

House Committe on Environmental Affairs

Majority Report:  Do pass.  (11)

      Signed by Representatives Rust, Chair; Valle, Vice Chair; Brekke, Ferguson, Jesernig, Pruitt, Schoon, D. Sommers, Sprenkle, Unsoeld and Walker.

House Staff:Susan Gulick (786-7116)

Rereferred House Committee on Ways & Means/Appropriations

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (19)

      Signed by Representatives Locke, Chair; Belcher, Braddock, Brekke, Bristow, Brough, Butterfield, Ebersole, Grant, Grimm, Hine, Holland, McLean, Nealey, Peery, H. Sommers, Spanel, Sprenkle and Wang.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  (3)

      Signed by Representatives Fuhrman, Silver and B. Williams.

House Staff:      Nancy Stevenson (786-7136) 

AS PASSED HOUSE FEBRUARY 12, 1988

BACKGROUND:

Many local governments are seriously considering starting collection programs for recyclable commodities.  Commodities collected typically include glass, newspapers, tin, and aluminum. Increased collection, by itself, will not increase recycling rates.  The other essential steps in recycling are:  processing, manufacturing a product from the recycled materials, and final sale of the new product. In its interim report, the Joint Select Committee for Preferred Solid Waste Management found that consumers can significantly stimulate markets for recyclable commodities if they develop a preference for buying products comprised of recycled materials. 

 Because state and local governments are large purchasers of goods, the Committee recommended that the state implement a purchasing system that considers the recycled content of a product in its purchasing decisions.  Increased state purchases of products containing recycled commodities could stimulate markets and act to compensate for the increased supply of recyclable commodities caused by the local government collection programs. 

SUMMARY:

The statute allowing preferential purchase of recycled paper by Department of General Administration is redefined to include a weighting factor.  The recycled content of a product is established as one of several criteria used to award contracts.  In using the weighting factor, a bidder whose bid is 10 percent higher than another bidder may not be selected

 Bidders of state purchasing contracts are required to provide an affidavit of the percentage of recycled product content.

 The Department of General Administration is directed to develop a directory of businesses that supply products containing recycled materials, and to encourage purchase of such products by local governments and other public entities utilizing the state's purchasing system.

 At the request of local governments, refuse haulers are required to distribute educational materials pertaining to recycling.  For rate-making purposes, refuse haulers may request that the cost of distributing such materials be considered as a normal operating expense. 

Fiscal Note:      Requested January 26, 1988. 

Effective Date:The bill takes effect on July 1, 1989. 

House Committee ‑ Testified For:      (Environmental Affairs)  Nancy Pearson, Washington Citizens for Recycling.

(Ways & Means/Appropriations)  None Presented. 

House Committee - Testified Against:      (Environmental Affairs)  None Presented.

(Ways & Means/Appropriations)  None Presented. 

House Committee - Testimony For: (Environmental Affairs)  This bill creates a sensible process for stimulating markets for recycled products.

(Ways & Means/Appropriations)  None Presented. 

House Committee - Testimony Against:      (Environmental Affairs)  None Presented.

(Ways & Means/Appropriations)  None Presented.