Preliminary Needs Assessment

We invite you to comment on the Preliminary Needs Assessment Ecology is developing as part of Recycling Reform Act implementation. The comment period will run from Oct. 1 – Oct. 30, 2026.

This Preliminary Needs Assessment documents Washington's current residential materials management system. The Preliminary Needs Assessment evaluated:

• Who currently has access to recycling
• How recycling access compares to access to garbage collection and organics collection
• The cost of recycling throughout its lifecycle
• How much material is currently being disposed, recycled, and composted in Washington
• How much material could potentially be recycled or composted in Washington
• Which material types have end markets

Its purpose is to establish a shared, evidence-based picture of what Washington's recycling system looks like right now, which the full needs assessment will then analyze and build upon.

The Recycling Reform Act is a law passed by the State Legislature in 2025 to improve Washington's resisdential recycling system by creating an extended producer responsibility program for residential packaging and paper products.