AN ACT Relating to encouraging economic development by identifying ways to grow Washington's manufacturing sector through evaluating the opportunities and barriers of repurposing domestic waste stream materials; and creating new sections.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature intends for Washington to continue to be a leader in advanced manufacturing and environmental stewardship. In this act, the legislature seeks to identify new and existing sources of materials useful to our manufacturers that may be sourced economically from our domestic waste stream. By identifying these materials and the various ways that our own consumer and commercial waste can be repurposed by Washington manufacturers, the legislature intends to spur entrepreneurship and innovation in a manner aligned with the values of Washingtonians.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) The department of commerce shall arrange for the completion of an economic analysis of recyclable material and solid waste processing, export, and disposal activities in Washington. This analysis must not result in the disclosure or publication of proprietary or confidential business information. The analysis must include:

(a) An overview of existing types of recycling business practices in Washington that involve processing materials into saleable products that are or could be useful to Washington's current or future manufacturers. The economic analysis must also include an evaluation of opportunities and barriers to increasing reuse of materials and to manufacturing using recyclable material as feedstocks within Washington and regionally; and

(b) An evaluation of the implications of relevant global and regional changes in the recycling market on recycling rates and on businesses collecting and processing recyclable materials in Washington.

(2) By September 1, 2020, the analysis required in subsection (1) of this section must be submitted in a report to the legislature consistent with the requirements of RCW 43.01.036. The analysis must be accompanied by recommendations from the department of commerce that:

(a) Identify which recyclable materials add the greatest economic value to recycling programs and will have a market to sustain those programs; and

(b) Identify the economic opportunities and challenges to reusing the waste from Washington consumers and businesses in Washington as a raw material for manufacturing.

(3) The department of commerce must develop the analysis and recommendations in this section in consultation with a focused stakeholder work group consisting of a representative from each of the following: The utilities and transportation commission; the department of ecology; cities; counties; a permitted material recovery facility operator; public and private sector recycling and solid waste industries; packaging manufacturers and retailers; and an environmental organization.