OLYMPIA, Wash. – A new bill aimed at reducing littering is awaiting the governor’s approval. House Bill 1293, originally proposed by State Representative Mark Klicker of District 16, proposes higher fines for littering to keep the state cleaner.
The bill, which landed on Governor Bob Ferguson‘s desk on Sunday, seeks to increase fines for littering from $50 to $125 per cubic foot. Additionally, there would be an extra $93 fee for littering on state highways.
Klicker emphasized the litter problem in the state.
“When you go along our roadways or interstates or state highways, you know, it’s just buried with litter. Just last year, it was 38 million pounds of litter that was dropped throughout our roads throughout the state. Only 6 million pounds was picked up and put away in landfills. So think about how much litter is still out there that we need to pick up and then we’re going to accumulate more,” he said.
The bill also addresses the use of reusable plastic bags. A new thickness requirement on plastic bags won’t take effect until 2028, but if grocers choose to use these bags early, a bag tax at stores will increase from 8 cents to 12 cents. This extra charge will go to the Litter Control Board.
“So what they’re trying to do is keep from using the thicker bags because more than likely they’re going to go back into the landfill and not be reused,” Klicker said.
The bill incentivizes the use of paper over plastic, maintaining the charge for paper bags at eight cents. It passed through the House unanimously.
“We [State House of Representatives] knew we needed to start somewhere. So we all knew it was a good bill and there was no controversy whatsoever,” Klicker said.
Governor Ferguson has 20 days from when the bill was delivered (because session has ended) to decide if it will become law.
For more information on House Bill 1293 and its implications, readers can visit the Washington State Legislature’s website.
