RCW 70A.505.010Findings—Purpose. (Effective until January 1, 2035.)The legislature finds that:(1) Mercury is an essential component of many energy efficient lights. Improper disposal methods will lead to mercury releases that threaten the environment and harm human health. Spent mercury lighting is a hard to collect waste product that is appropriate for product stewardship;(2) Convenient and environmentally sound product stewardship programs for mercury-containing lights that include collecting, transporting, and recycling mercury-containing lights will help protect Washington's environment and the health of state residents;(3)(a) The purpose of this chapter is to achieve a statewide goal of recycling all end-of-life mercury-containing lights through expanded public education, a uniform statewide requirement to recycle all mercury-containing lights, and the development of a comprehensive, safe, and convenient collection system that includes use of residential curbside collection programs, mail-back containers, increased support for household hazardous waste facilities, and a network of additional collection locations;(b) The purpose of chapter 339, Laws of 2024 is to reduce programs, mail-back containers, increased support for household hazardous waste facilities, and a network of additional collection locations;(b) The purpose of chapter 339, Laws of 2024 is to reduce exposure to mercury by prohibiting the sale of most mercury-containing lights beginning in 2029 and to provide continuing collection of mercury-containing lights that have already entered the marketplace;(4) Product producers must play a significant role in financing no-cost collection and processing programs for mercury-containing lights; and(5) Providers of premium collection services such as residential curbside and mail-back programs may charge a fee to cover the collection costs for these more convenient forms of collection.[ 2024 c 339 s 3; 2010 c 130 s 1. Formerly RCW 70.275.010.]NOTES:Finding—Intent—2024 c 339: '(1) The legislature finds that in 2025 the state's stewardship program for the end-of-life management of mercury-containing lights is statutorily scheduled to undergo review and termination or possible extension under chapter 43.131 RCW, the sunset act. If the mercury-containing lights product stewardship program were allowed to sunset as scheduled, Washington rgo review and termination or possible extension under chapter 43.131 RCW, the sunset act. If the mercury-containing lights product stewardship program were allowed to sunset as scheduled, Washington residents would lose a consistent, convenient, and safe way to return unwanted mercury-containing lights, which will remain in use for years as existing inventory winds down, even as the lighting industry has moved away from most mercury-containing lights. Mercury-containing lights present such a significant health risk that other states have recently restricted their sale, which represents a solution to reduce the public health impacts of new lighting products, but does not address the end-of-life management issues associated with the existing light bulbs currently in use.(2) The state's existing mercury-containing lights program, which was first enacted over a decade ago, contains policy provisions, including the establishment of a per-bulb fee attached to the sale of mercury-containing lights, that are now recognized as not representing the best practices for the design of stewardship programs.(3) Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature to:(a) Restrict the sale of most ining lights, that are now recognized as not representing the best practices for the design of stewardship programs.(3) Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature to:(a) Restrict the sale of most mercury-containing lights;(b) Extend the implementation of the stewardship program for mercury-containing lights; and(c) Modernize key elements of the state's mercury-containing lights stewardship program.' [ 2024 c 339 s 1.]
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