Dive Brief:
A bill in Washington designed to increase recycled content in packaging and ban some types of expanded polystyrene (EPS) containers is headed to Governor Jay Inslee’s desk for signature.
The bill, SB 5022, sponsored by Senator Mona Das, would require more recycled content in plastic beverage containers, trash bags and containers for household and personal care products. It bans EPS food service products such as clamshell containers, plates and cups, as well as EPS recreational coolers and packing peanuts. The bill also calls for plastic utensils, straws, and cup lids to only be provided to customers on request.
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Illegal dumping vexes cities
Throughout the pandemic, officials and news reports across the country have revealed case after case of illegal dumping problems. While culprit items often include auto parts, furniture or construction materials, recent examples include inappropriately ditching speared fish and even a headstone.
Los Angeles Controller Ron Galperin recently issued a report highlighting that illegal dumping of trash, debris and hazardous items in the city’s public areas spiked 450% between 2016 and 2020. Galperin called the problem one “of equity as much as it is of health and safety.”
LA, which the sanitation department said is a participant in the CalRecycle Illegal Dumping Technical Advisory Committee, is set to weigh recommendations from the controller’s office meant to target root causes of the problem and better enforce the law. They include increasing the number of cleanup crews, expanding the surveillance camera program, and raising fines for offenders. A