(1) The director shall develop specifications and adopt rules for the purchase of products which will provide for preferential purchase of products containing recycled material by:

(a) The use of a weighting factor determined by the amount of recycled material in a product, where appropriate and known in advance to potential bidders, to determine the lowest responsible bidder. The actual dollars bid shall be the contracted amount. If the department determines, according to criteria established by rule that the use of this weighting factor does not encourage the use of more recycled material, the department shall consider and award bids without regard to the weighting factor. In making this determination, the department shall consider but not be limited to such factors as adequate competition, economics or environmental constraints, quality, and availability.

(b) Requiring a written statement of the percentage range of recycled content from the bidder providing products containing recycled material. The range may be stated in five percent increments.

(2) The director shall develop a directory of businesses that have a master contract with the department that supply products containing significant quantities of recycled materials. This directory may be combined with and made accessible through the database of recycled content products to be developed under RCW 43.19A.060.

(3) The director shall encourage all parties using the state purchasing office to purchase products containing recycled materials.

(4) The rules, specifications, and bid evaluation shall be consistent with recycled content standards adopted under RCW 43.19A.020.

[2015 c 79 § 8; 2011 1st sp.s. c 43 § 228; 1991 c 297 § 5; 1988 c 175 § 2; 1987 c 505 § 26; 1982 c 61 § 2. Formerly RCW 43.19.538.]

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