H-4180              _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 1532

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1988 Regular Session

By Representatives Locke, Taylor, Rust, Wang, Lux, Basich, Wineberry, Unsoeld, Armstrong, Jacobsen, Fisher, Todd, Winsley, Haugen and Anderson

Read first time 1/20/88 and referred to Committee on Environmental Affairs.

AN ACT Relating to beverage containers; amending RCW 70.132.010, 70.132.020, and 70.132.030; and adding a new section to chapter 70.132 RCW.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 1, chapter 113, Laws of 1982 and RCW 70.132.010 are each amended to read as follows:

          The legislature finds that beverage containers designed to be opened through the use of detachable metal rings or tabs are hazardous to the health and welfare of the citizens of this state and detrimental to certain wildlife.  The detachable parts are susceptible to ingestion by human beings and wildlife.  The legislature further finds that  plastic rings that are not biodegradable and are used to connect beverage containers constitute a serious danger to the environment and wildlife of this state.  The legislature intends to eliminate the danger posed by these unnecessary containers by prohibiting their retail sale in this state.

        Sec. 2.  Section 2, chapter 113, Laws of 1982 as amended by section 1, chapter 257, Laws of 1983 and RCW 70.132.020 are each amended to read as follows:

          Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter:

          (1) "Beverage" means beer or other malt beverage or mineral water, soda water, or other drink in liquid form and intended for human consumption.  The term does not include milk-based, soy-based, or similar products requiring heat and pressure in the canning process.

          (2) "Beverage container" means a separate and sealed can ((containing)), bottle, jar, or carton composed primarily of glass, metal, or plastic and produced to contain a beverage.

          (3) "Department" means the department of ecology created under chapter 43.21A RCW.

        Sec. 3.  Section 3, chapter 113, Laws of 1982 and RCW 70.132.030 are each amended to read as follows:

          No person may sell or offer to sell at retail in this state any metal beverage container so designed and constructed that a metal part of the container is detachable in opening the container through use of a metal ring or tab.  Nothing in this section prohibits the sale of a beverage container which container's only detachable part is a piece of pressure sensitive or metallic tape.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  A new section is added to chapter 70.132 RCW to read as follows:

          No person may sell or offer to sell at retail in this state beverage containers connected to each other by a separate holding device constructed of plastic rings or any other device or material that is not biodegradable within one year after disposal.