EPR Policy Framework and Implementation Model: Residential Recycling of Packaging and Paper Products in Washington State (PDF).

This March 2020 report from the Responsible Recycling Task Force (RRTF), with representatives from the King County Solid Waste Division, Seattle Public Utilities, cities in King County, solid waste management companies, and other stakeholders, is the culmination of efforts to respond to changing recycling markets since the task force formed in April 2018, and to develop a "comprehensive, statewide stewardship policy approach that helps achieve a funded, robust, and harmonized curbside recycling system throughout Washington State." The report includes a policy framework for an EPR system for residential recyclables and a conceptual model for how an EPR system might work in Washington State.

The report recommends "immediate, mid-term, and long-term Action Items" to address existing challenges. The Action Items were developed by following the "responsible recycling framework" which calls for recycling systems to:

• Focus on the quality vs. quantity of recyclables.
• Use consistent messaging across the region.
• Prioritize domestic processing and markets.
• Consider the social and environmental effects of exporting recyclables.
• Create domestic demand for recyclables.
• Realize that responsible recycling is not free.
• Measure real recycling.

Read the executive summary (PDF) and full report on the Responsible Recycling Task Force website.