Zero Waste Washington

Building the Movement, Community programs and Communications Zero Waste Washington partners with many community organizations to provide programming to encourage recycling, reduce waste and support a circular economy, and especially to support reuse of items . In 2023, we built our Furniture Repair Bank into a major program. Our volunteers repair and refurbish damaged furniture, designated as garbage, and donate the furniture to recent refugee and low income families. We also nurtured local zero waste groups around the state and supported new local reuse projects. Statewide, we delivered many presentations to bolster the growing zero waste movement by spreading the word about individual and collective actions that reduce waste, including policy solutions. We regularly communicated with our members and others through newsletters and social media. We helped with business accelerators to help boost zero waste and circular economy innovation in WA.

Plastic Pollution, Recycling and Toxic Chemical Reduction in Products Zero Waste Washington works to prevent plastics pollution and strengthen recycling, while providing research and policy recommendations to local communities and state legislators. This year we continued our work with community members and youth groups to raise awareness about the widespread toxic impacts of plastic. In King County, we gave mini-grants pass-through grants to restaurants and coffee shops to help them switch from single-use disposables to durable, reusables plates, cups, glasses and cutlery. We developed model ordinances and educational materials to support decision-makers and community members advocating for local ordinances reducing the use of plastic. We launched a major 3-year program to work with youth and vulnerable communities esp. refugee and recent immigrant families, as well as local government partners, to conduct swap-out events to replace durable household products containing toxic chemicals such as lead, PFAS, phthalates and flame retardants with safer products.

State and Local Policy, Zero Waste Washington worked with partners to help pass the strongest battery recycling law in the US. Together we supported passage of a law to require water refill stations in all new non-residential construction, phase out hotel single-use plastic packaged mini-toiletries, and study styrofoam-filled floats which hold up docks. We convened stakeholders to discuss the diversion of organics yard and food waste from landfills in preparation for the 2025 legislative session. Landfills are a significant source of methane due to rotting green waste and food waste. We participated in rule-making to ensure that methane gas is effectively captured from landfills. We also made progress on key policies modernizing our recycling system, right to repair, and wind turbine blade recycling. On the national level, we helped lead quarterly policy forums on the reuse of durable products and salvaged materials from demolitions. We served on WAs Solid Waste Advisory Committee and many other committees to provide environmental policy recommendations.