On September 24, Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) joined legislative champions and community partners to celebrate the passage of the Recycling Reform Act, which marked a milestone for recycling in Washington state.
SPU sponsored the celebration, which was hosted by the Plastic Free Washington Coalition, at Gas Works Park.
The legislation, which passed in May 2025, represents the most comprehensive expansion and improvement of Washington’s recycling system since jurisdictions across the state began offering curbside recycling. The law will require companies that create packaging and paper products to pay for curbside recycling for all Washington residents that currently have garbage service.
This will shift at least 90% of the financial burden of curbside recycling from residents to companies. Although recycling in Seattle is considered “free,” the costs of the service are actually embedded into the costs of garbage service. However, beginning in 2030, SPU customers will begin to see a credit on their utility bill for the cost of recycling.
The law will also improve recycling through:
- Expanding curbside recycling service to an additional 500,000 households
- Creating a statewide list of recyclable materials
- Incentivizing companies to use less packaging or more sustainable packaging
- Driving new investments in recycling and material reuse statewide
- Bringing much needed transparency and accountability to the recycling system
During the event, bill sponsors state Rep. Liz Berry (D-36th Legislative District) and state Sen. Liz Lovelett (D-40th Legislative District) – as well as state Rep. Beth Doglio (D-22nd Legislative District), the Environment Committee Chair – received the Recycling Rockstar Award for their efforts. Among the three of them, they took hundreds of meetings over three years to negotiate and refine the legislation and get it across the finish line.
The work of many other champions and subject matter experts who worked on this legislation were also recognized and celebrated. The audience was diverse, as the legislation was supported by a range of organizations including labor, local governments, environmental organizations, Tribes, physicians, and businesses.
SPU was thrilled to play a role in the passage of this critical legislation. We are looking forward to continuing to support recycling improvements in Washington state in the years ahead. For more information, contact Maggie Yuse, SPU’s State Legislative Liaison.