AN ACT Relating to procurement of recycled paper products; adding new sections to chapter 43.19 RCW; and adding new sections to chapter 70.95C RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 70.95C RCW to read as follows:

(1) Each state agency shall revise its procedures, specifications, and rules for purchases of paper products to give preference, whenever feasible, to the purchase of recycled paper products. The agencies shall review their current specifications to identify and eliminate, whenever economically feasible, discrimination against the procurement of recycled paper.

(2) Each state agency shall give a preference to the suppliers of recycled paper products. This preference shall be up to ten percent of the lowest bid or price quoted by suppliers offering nonrecycled paper products. This preference may be granted in addition to the weighting factor provided by RCW 43.19.538. This subsection shall not apply if recycled paper products are not reasonably available.

(3) To encourage the use of postconsumer waste, the state agency's specifications shall require recycled paper product contracts to be awarded, whenever possible, to the bidder whose paper product contains the greater percentage of postconsumer waste.

(4) For the purposes of this section and sections 2 through 5 of this act, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:

(a) "Recycled paper product" means a paper product, which includes fine grades of paper, corrugated boxes, newsprint, tissue, and toweling, with not less than twenty-five percent of its total weight consisting of secondary and postconsumer waste and with not less than ten percent of its total weight consisting of postconsumer waste. It also means all paper and woodpulp products containing postconsumer waste and secondary waste materials, as defined in this section.

(b) "Postconsumer waste" means a finished material which would normally be disposed of as a solid waste, having completed its life cycle as a consumer item.

(c) "Secondary waste" means fragments of finished products, or finished products of a manufacturing process, which has converted a virgin resource into a commodity of real economic value, and includes postconsumer waste, but does not include fibrous waste generated during the manufacturing process such as fibers recovered from waste water or trimmings of paper machine rolls (mill broke), wood slabs, chips, sawdust, or other wood residue from a manufacturing process.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 43.19 RCW to read as follows:

The department shall revise its procurement policies and practices as necessary to achieve the following goals for the purchasing of recycled paper products, including letterhead, computer paper, envelopes, business cards, newsletters, reports, and forms:

(1) By January 1, 1992, at least thirty-five percent of the total dollar amount of paper products purchased or procured by the department shall be recycled paper products.

(2) By January 1, 1994, at least forty percent of the total dollar amount of paper products purchased or procured by the department shall be recycled paper products.

(3) By January 1, 1996, at least fifty percent of the total dollar amount of paper products purchased or procured by the department shall be recycled paper products.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 43.19 RCW to read as follows:

The head of any state agency may print a symbol on recycled paper products, including computer paper, letterhead, newsletters, reports, and forms, selected by the agency head that indicates the recycled nature of the paper. The symbol shall be similar to "Printed on Recycled Paper." The symbol shall be approved by the director of general administration prior to its use.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 70.95C RCW to read as follows:

All producers of recycled paper within this state shall certify the percentage of recycled paper content in their product to the state printer and to all purchasers of paper products for all state agencies and educational institutions. The department of ecology shall adopt rules to implement this section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. A new section is added to chapter 70.95C RCW to read as follows:

All state agencies and educational institutions shall report to the department the amounts and cost of recycled paper products in their procurement, service, or construction contracts. The department shall establish standard reporting practices requiring reports on a periodic basis no less than annually.