FINAL BILL REPORT

SSB 6446

                                  C 175 L 88

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

Encouraging state purchasing of recovered materials.

Senate Committee on Environment & Natural Resources

House Committe on Environmental Affairs

SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

BACKGROUND:

Many local governments have started, or have plans for, collection programs for recyclable commodities such as glass, newspapers, tin, and aluminum.  Private recyclers have traditionally provided this service and have achieved a statewide recycling average of 15 percent of the total waste stream.

Increased collection by itself will not increase recycling rates.  The other essential steps in recycling are processing, re-manufacturing, 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 containing recycled materials.

Because state and local governments are large consumers 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 will 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 administered 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 of recycled product content and may be stated in 15 percent increments.

The department 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.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

      Senate    46     0

      House 91   1 (House amended)

      Senate    45     0 (Senate concurred)

EFFECTIVE:July 1, 1988