The Bottle Bill Works
WORKING FOR A COMMONSENSE BILL — WashPIRG is calling on Gov. Jay Inslee and the legislature to implement a 5-cent deposit on beverage containers to reduce litter and increase recycling.
To Increase Recycling
Washingtonians are recycling more than ever, but we’re still throwing away more than two-thirds of our plastic bottles! That’s why we’re working to pass a 5-cent redeemable deposit on beverage containers to increase recycling and put Washington on the path towards zero waste.
To Reduce Waste
The Bottle Bill is proven to be one of the nation’s most successful recycling programs. The 10 states with Bottle Bills have an average container recycling rate of 60 percent. And with budget cuts threatening our litter control programs, we need to take action to make sure our neighborhoods, parks and waterways don’t get trashed.
For Washington
Big beverage companies and waste haulers will fight to maintain the status quo. But by demonstrating the public’s overwhelming support—and by putting our experts and advocates in the hearing rooms and offices where key decisions are being made—we can pass this commonsense bill.
Issue updates
Every day, we use millions of plastic bags, straws and utensils, and foam cups and containers for just a few minutes before tossing them, and then they can pollute our environment for hundreds of years. We can protect our health and marine animals by banning or limiting these products, as hundreds of communities and nine states have already done. Banning Single-use Plastics describes the specific problems, actions, and best practices for reducing these polluting items.
As plastic pollution becomes an increasingly suffocating problem, elected officials in both houses of Congress are introducing legislation to address the issue. While unveiling the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2020 on Capitol Hill today, Sen. Tom Udall (NM) and Rep. Alan Lowenthal (CA) detailed how the bill can improve the health of our people and our planet.
It’s common-sense: If something you own breaks, you should be able to fix it. But manufacturers don’t see it that way. Instead, they use a set of tactics to block independent repair because they want consumers to have to come to them to do repairs. Right to Repair made considerable progress in 2019, and just a little over a month into 2020, we’re seeing continued momentum.
Recycling challenges vary across the country, but, overall, states are failing to both reduce unnecessary waste and adjust to a changing recycling landscape, according to a new study from U.S. PIRG Education Fund and Environment America Research & Policy Center.
Recycling challenges vary across the country, but, overall, states are failing to both reduce unnecessary waste and adjust to a changing recycling landscape, according to a new study from U.S. PIRG Education Fund and Environment America Research & Policy Center. The State Of Recycling U.S. National Survey looks at programs in Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin, providing case studies and insight into specific issues that plague recycling efforts nationwide.
Solid Waste
U.S. PIRG, coalition partners urge Congress to reject plastics industry investment proposal
In a letter, U.S. PIRG, the Break Free From Plastic movement and a coalition of NGOs called on Congress to reject a plastics industry proposal to invest up to $1 billion in industry infrastructure and expressed strong support for federal legislation to slash plastic waste.
Solid Waste
Right to Repair named a finalist for Fast Company's World Changing Ideas awards
We are thrilled and honored that Fast Company, the national business magazine, has selected U.S. PIRG's Right to Repair campaign as a finalist for its World Changing Ideas awards in the Politics & Policy category.
Solid Waste
Repairing your smartphone is better for the environment and your wallet, report finds
Repairing your phone instead of replacing it can save you money and lessen your environmental impact. Unfortunately, some manufacturers won't perform the repairs that could extend the lives of our devices.
Solid Waste
The Fix Is In
Our survey found that independent repair shops currently offer many repair options that some manufacturers don’t make available. Apple and others are making it harder for individuals and independent repair shops to fix our devices.
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