Washington 2011 Bill
| Bill Number and Name | SB 5778 |
|---|---|
| Sponsors | Senators Chase, McAuliffe, Shin, Kline |
| Beverages Covered | All beverages |
| Containers Covered | glass, metal, or plastic bottles or cans up to 3L. Excludes cartons and foil pouches |
| Deposits | 5¢ |
| Handling Fees | None |
| Other Fees / Taxes | None |
| Reclamation System | Return to dealer or approved redemption center |
| Unredeemed Deposits | Kept by manufacturer or distributor |
Details
Washington's proposed deposit system would have dealers/distributors responsible for initiating the 5¢ deposit, picking up empty containers, and reimbursing retailers and redemption centers.
The bill sets daily limits on the number of containers a person may return: 144 at larger stores and 50 at smaller stores.
As in many other deposit laws, this one also prohibits the sale of containers held together by rings that are not biodegradable, photodegradable, or chemodegradable.
Progress
February 11, 2011: First reading, referred to Environment, Water & Energy.
The Washington Bottle Bill Campaign, 1982
According to an article on historylink.org, deposit legislation was introduced as Ballot Iinitiative 414 in 1982 and defeated by 70% of voters in a 400,156 to 965,951 vote, but CRI has no further information on this initiative.
The Washington Bottle Bill Campaign, 1979
According to an article in seattlepi.com, deposit legislation was introduced in 1979 and defeated by 57% of voters, but CRI has no further information on this initiative.
The Washington Bottle Bill Campaign, 1970
According to an article in seattlepi.com, deposit legislation was introduced in 1970 and defeated by 51% of voters, but CRI has no further information on this initiative.