SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 6446

BYSenators Rinehart, Bluechel, Kreidler, Garrett, Gaspard and Lee

Encouraging state purchasing of recovered materials.

Senate Committee on Environment & Natural Resources

Senate Hearing Date(s):January 20, 1988

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6446 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

      Signed by Senators Metcalf, Chairman; Smith, Vice Chairman; Barr, Benitz, DeJarnatt, Kreidler, Patterson, Rinehart.

Senate Staff:Rick Anderson (786-7717)

                  January 21, 1988

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES, JANUARY 20, 1988

BACKGROUND:

Many local governments have started, or have plans for, collection programs for recyclable commodities.  Commodities collected typically include 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.  Collection programs run by local governments may force many private recyclers out of business.

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 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 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 by the Office of State Procurement within the Department of General Administration. 

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.

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.

EFFECT OF PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE:

Several minor changes were made in the bill as follows:  (1) A provision prohibiting manufacturers from including recycled mill waste as part of a product's recycled content is deleted; (2) a provision requiring the state to purchase recycled paper under certain conditions is deleted; (3) a provision prescribing the method by which recycled paper content is to be calculated is deleted, and (4) the effective date of the act is changed from June 30, 1989 to June 30, 1988.

Appropriation:    $49,000 from the state general fund.

Revenue:    none

Fiscal Note:      requested January 14, 1988

Senate Committee - Testified: Jack Jenkins, Eagle Energy; Llewellyn Matthews, Northwest Pulp and Paper Association; Rullie Harris, Scott Paper Company; George Sidles, Washington State Recycling Association; Meredith Jennings, Department of General Administration; Nancy Pearson, Washington Citizens for Recycling