By Sanchali Singh
(SEATTLE) In a slew of legislation passed on Monday, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill into law that makes the state the first in the country to no longer immediately include plastic service ware — instead, utensils, straws, beverage cup lids and condiment packages will now be available only upon request statewide.
Single-use plastic from the service industry has a huge impact on the environment and leads to an immense increase in the country's waste production. Because plastic doesn't break down, it sits in landfills for anywhere from 20 to 500 years or ends up as marine litter, ending up as fatal food for whales and other aquatic life.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, humans produce about 300 million tonnes of plastic waste every year, an amount "that's nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human population."
Sponsored by Washington Sen. Mona Das, SB 5022 includes a number of environmental requirements to cut down the state’s waste and packaging.
According to nonprofit organization Zero Waste Washington, the bill requires that plastic trash bags and household, personal care and cleaning product containers sold in the state have a minimum post-consumer recycled plastic content.
Plastic beverage containers will also be required to have a minimum post-consumer recycled plastic content, which will be tiered up every five years up to a minimum of 50% by 2031.
The bill bans certain polystyrene, or styrofoam, products statewide. Inslee said banning styrofoam, a material that is largely unrecyclable in the U.S., will lead to less waste, in addition to creating plastic that is less harmful.
“Our natural environment is a precious gift and we have an obligation to protect it,” the governor said in a tweet. “By signing this bill we’re reducing plastic pollution and protecting our waters for future generations.”
Inslee also signed other environmental legislation, including the HEAL Act, which he said “will incorporate environmental justice as a core part of what we do, from grant & loan programs to agency legislative proposals.”
SB 5141, sponsored by Sen. Rebecca Saldaña and other legislators, focuses on increasing environmental justice in the state government by reducing environmental and health disparities.
Through the new law, Washington will create an environmental justice council “to advise state efforts & increases requirements for engaging with impacted communities,” the governor said in a tweet.