Washington’s new plastics law requires producers of many common single-use plastics to include a minimum amount of recycled material in their products.
Producers are obligated to register by May 18, 2022, as long as the producer offers for sale, sell, or distribute in or into Washington the following products: plastic trash bags, beverage bottles and containers for household cleaning and personal care products.
Who is required to report to the Department of Ecology?
For covered products sold, offered for sale, or distributed in or into this state, the following hierarchy will determine which person or entity the department will hold primarily responsible for compliance with the postconsumer recycled (PCR) content minimums and ensuring that the department receives a complete, accurate, and timely registration and reporting:
- If the covered product is sold under the manufacturer’s own brand or lacks identification of a brand, the producer is the person who manufactures the covered product unless it has no presence in the United States.
- If the product is manufactured by a person or entity other than a brand owner, then it is the licensee of the brand or trademark unless it has no presence in the United States.
- The first person who imports or distributes the covered product in or into the state.
- In cases where covered products are manufactured or supplied by a person other than the brand owner, the department considers responsibility for compliance to be the person who imports or distributes the covered product in or into the state.
If you need to update your submitted registration or have other questions, contact the Recycled Content Team at [email protected].
Any registration updates need to be completed by May 18, 2022, prior to the calculation of the administrative fee.
To learn more, visit the Washington State Department of Ecology’s Plastic Producer Registration webpage.
Additional resources
- Sign up for Secure Access Washington (SAW)
- Review the Plastics Producer Registration Instructions
- Watch our Webinar on Post-Consumer Recycled Content Requirements
- Learn more about Washington’s new recycled-content minimums
To stay up to date on registration, reporting, and rulemaking, join the Plastic Packaging Email list
