HOUSE BILL REPORT

ESSB 6446

As Amended by the House

BYSenate Committee on Environment & Natural Resources (originally sponsored by Senators Rinehart, Bluechel, Kreidler, Garrett, Gaspard and Lee)

Encouraging state purchasing of recovered materials.

House Committe on Environmental Affairs

Majority Report:  Do pass with amendment.  (10)

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

House Staff:Susan Gulick (786-7116)

AS PASSED HOUSE MARCH 5, 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 recycled content of a product is established as one of several criteria used to award contracts by the Office of State Procurement within the Department of General Administration.

Bidders of state purchasing contracts are required to provide a written statement of the percentage range of recycled product content.  The range may be stated in fifteen percent increments

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.

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:      Available.

Effective Date:The bill takes effect on July 1, 1988.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Senator Nita Rinehart; Earl Tower, Department of Ecology.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    This bill provides a good incentive for use of recycled products without creating unfair competition.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.