Oregon kicked off its mattress stewardship program at the start of 2025, allowing Oregonians to now drop off any mattress, regardless of its condition or age, at any dedicated collection site throughout the state free of charge. The Mattress Recycling Council (MRC), chosen by the OR DEQ to manage the state’s mattress stewardship program, expects recyclers to process over 374,400 mattresses in Oregon over the next two years. Currently, only a limited number of mattress collection sites are part of the program, but this is expected to grow as the program is fully implemented. To find a mattress collection site in Oregon, visit Bye Bye Mattress’s location finder.  

 

E-Cycle Washington is one of the country’s longest running producer-funded electronics recycling program – it just completed its sixteenth year of operations. Ecology and the Washington Materials Management & Financing Authority (WMMFA) want your feedback on how the program is working in your county or city. Please take a few minutes to fill out the Local Government/Community Satisfaction Survey to provide your thoughts on the E-Cycle Washington program and how the program can improve. Comments must be submitted by March 1, 2025.  

 

The 69th legislative session in Washington started January 13, 2025. Product stewardship and EPR are no longer novel or niche policies as we have noted six EPR-related bills introduced: 

1. EPR for Packaging and Paper Products known as the Recycling Reform Act (HB 1150 / SB 5284) builds upon previous years’ efforts to create a coordinated, transparent statewide system for residential recycling that will increase both reuse and recycling significantly.  

2. EPR for Textiles (HB 1420), based on the Responsible Textile Recovery Act (SB 707) that passed in California last year, would establish a producer responsibility program for apparel and textiles in Washington. 

3. EPR for Electric Vehicle Batteries: HB 1550 (sponsored by Rep. Street) would create a separate program to collect and manage used EV Batteries There is an alternative bill sponsored by Sen. Wilson (SB 5045) that would expand the current Battery Stewardship Law to include EV Batteries. 

4. HB 1422 would amend the producer-funded and operated Safe Medication Return program to ensure that all of the Department of Health’s costs are covered and encourage parity between operators.  

5. To address the lack of participation by manufacturers, SB 5175 would delay the implementation of the Solar Panel Stewardship Law to 2029 and improve the law by establishing an Advisory Committee.   

The legislative session this year runs until April 27, 2025. There might also be an EPR bill for Mattresses. See more about the bills introduced below. 

 

• Recycling Reform Act – EPR for Packaging and Paper Products HB 1150 / SB 5284 would create an EPR program for consumer packaging and paper products in Washington. This bill builds upon the 2023 WRAP Act and 2024 ReWRAP Act, but aligns with the model policy passed in Minnesota last year. One key difference is that local governments and other service providers that want to be part of the program and receive reimbursement would be required to register as a service provider. The bill requires performance targets to be established that will reduce plastic packaging and increase reuse, return, recycling and composting rates. It also requires producers to fund a financial assistance program to support the development of reuse systems.   

- HB 1150 was heard in the House Committee on Environment & Energy on January 21st.  

- SB 5284 had a public hearing in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology on January 28th.  

• Recycling Refund Act – Deposit-Return System for Beverage Containers (aka Bottle Bill) HB 1607 / SB 5502 would require beverage producers to develop and implement a statewide deposit-return (recycling refund) program for beverage containers that increases recycling, refill and reuse rates through a Recycling Refund Producer Responsibility Organization (RRPRO). Consumers would be charged a refund value (deposit) of 10 cents on every covered beverage container. When the covered beverage containers are returned to collection (redemption) sites, consumers are then redeemed the refund value. Covered beverage containers include beverages in glass, metal, or plastic bottles or cans with a capacity of one gallon or less, except drugs, infant formula, milk, and meal replacement liquids. Other beverage containers could also be covered, if proposed by the RRPRO and approved by Ecology.   

- SB 5502 had a public hearing in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology on January 29th.  

• Electric Vehicle Battery EPR HB 1550  (sponsored by Rep. Street) would require producers to be responsible for the end-of-life management of electric vehicle (EV) batteries. Producers must create their own program to collect and manage used EV batteries. HB 1150 has a Stakeholder Meeting on February 5, 2025. There is an alternative bill sponsored by Sen. Wilson (SB 5045) that would expand the current Battery Stewardship Law to include EV Batteries. SB 5045 had a public hearing in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology.  

• Textiles EPR HB 1420 would require apparel and textiles producers to finance and coordinate the collection, transportation, sorting, repair, recycling and responsible management of used apparel and textiles through extended producer responsibility (EPR). It builds on the Responsible Textile Recovery Act (SB 707) that passed in California last year.  

- HB 1420 had a public hearing in the House Committee on Environment & Energy on January 30th.  

• Solar Panel Stewardship Amendment SB 5175 would delay Washington’s solar panel/photovoltaic module stewardship takeback program, extending the implementation timeline to ensure a successful program rollout. It also establishes an Advisory Committee to develop recommendations for the program implementation. 

- SB 5175 was heard in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology on January 17th. 

- It is scheduled for executive session in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology on February 7th. 

• Amending Safe Medication Return HB 1422 would ensure that drug manufacturers, through their program operators, pay all department costs related to Safe Medication Return and encourages performance parity between program operators.