Why Washington Needs a Bottle Bill: Recycling Refunds Are Essential to Cutting Litter and Plastic Pollution
At Surfrider Foundation Washington, we see firsthand how litter and plastic pollution threaten our ocean, waves, and beaches — and beverage containers are a major part of the problem. While Washingtonians care deeply about keeping our state clean, our current recycling system is failing to capture some of the most common and most recyclable materials we use every day.
Beverage Containers Are a Major Source of Litter
Beverage containers made of plastic, glass, and metal are consistently among the top items collected during beach cleanups and open-space litter removals across Washington.
According to the Washington Department of Ecology’s 2022 litter study, there are 42 pounds of beverage containers per mile along our highways. Despite being highly recyclable, only 30% of beverage containers are recycled statewide. The rest often end up as roadside litter, in rivers and streams, or ultimately in the ocean.
Our current co-mingled recycling system also creates problems. When glass containers are crushed during collection and transport, glass shards contaminate other recyclables, lowering the quality of materials and making recycling less efficient and more expensive. Beverage containers clearly need their own clean recycling stream — and that’s where a bottle bill comes in
The Solution: Recycling Refunds, aka a Bottle Bill
Surfrider Foundation Washington, along with many of our partners in the Plastic Free WA Coalition and beyond, support SB 5502 / HB 1607, also known as the Recycling Refund Act, which would establish a statewide bottle deposit program.
Bottle bills are a proven way to increase recycling and reduce litter. In states with similar programs, beverage container litter has been reduced by up to 80%. By placing a refundable deposit on containers, the program creates a strong incentive to return bottles and cans for recycling or reuse. Just as importantly, a Recycling Refunds program pulls beverage containers into a separate, cleaner recycling stream, improving material quality and increasing recycling efficiency.
Evidence from Oregon and British Columbia shows that deposit programs can increase recycling rates for beverage containers to 80–90% within three to five years — a dramatic improvement over Washington’s current system.
Polling in our region also shows that 67% of Washingtonians initially support a bottle bill — and support grows to 75% after people learn more about how the policy works. Support is strong across political parties and regions, making Recycling Refunds a widely trusted and politically popular solution.
How it works
Under the Recycling Reform Act, beverage brands would be required to form a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) to fund and operate the system. Consumers would pay a 10-cent deposit on most beverage containers and receive those 10 cents back when containers are returned for recycling or reuse.
Convenient drop-off locations would be available statewide, including sites that offer immediate refunds at participating local retailers. Bag drop locations (where consumers can drop off bags full of bottles and cans) would be located in retail parking lots and funded by beverage companies, not Washington residents. In the current bill language, the program must achieve a 65% redemption rate by Year 3 and 80% by Year 6, with reuse rates beginning in Year 5 and increasing annually.
Any unredeemed deposits would be reinvested into education, outreach, and expanding redemption sites to further improve participation, and the program would fully cover the state’s costs for administration and enforcement.
Cleaner Communities, Lower Costs
Reducing litter and improving recycling saves money. Local governments and ratepayers spend millions each year cleaning up litter — including along highways, where groups like the Ellensburg Youth Corps routinely collect discarded beverage containers. Less litter and cleaner recycling streams mean lower cleanup costs, more efficient recycling infrastructure, and better outcomes for communities across Washington.
Working Together for Bigger Impact
Surfrider played a key role in helping pass Washington's Recycling Reform Act in 2025, which overhauls how we manage waste of all kinds throughout the state. Pairing that law with a Recycling Refunds program accelerates progress, ensures statewide access to recycling, and creates efficiencies for infrastructure, reuse, and material recovery. Together, these policies tackle waste at the source and keep pollution out of our waterways before it reaches the ocean.
What can you do to help?
Surfrider Washington is actively advocating for SB 5502 / HB 1607 as part of our broader mission to reduce plastic pollution and protect clean water. We are working with partners, mobilizing volunteers, educating communities, and engaging lawmakers to ensure this proven solution becomes law.
1. Keep an eye on our bill tracker, newsletters, and social media channels for opportunities to sign in PRO or write your legislators
2. Call the legislative hotline and voice your support of SB 5502 / HB 1607 (call anytime at 1-800-562-6000)
3. Support your local Surfrider Chapter in their efforts to stop plastic pollution at its source!
A Cleaner Washington Is Within Reach
Beverage containers don’t belong in our rivers, along our highways, or on our beaches. A Recycling Refunds program is a common-sense, proven approach that delivers real environmental, economic, and community benefits.
Surfrider Foundation Washington urges lawmakers to pass SB 5502 / HB 1607 and take a critical step toward a cleaner, healthier Washington — from our highways to our shorelines.