Plastic producer registration and reporting
Producers of certain items sold in plastic packaging in Washington must register with us by April 1 of each year.
Washington’s plastics law, Chapter 70A.245 RCW, requires producers of many common single-use plastics to include a minimum amount of recycled content in their products.
Producers that offer for sale, sell, or distribute covered products in or into Washington are required to register and report with Ecology by April 1 of each year.
Covered products and requirements
Products required to meet recycled-content minimums
- Plastic trash bags
- Plastic beverage bottles
- Plastic containers for household cleaning and personal care products
When reporting deadlines for your product category come into effect, you will be required to submit both a registration and an annual report on PCRC usage by April 1.
Producer categories
Covered producers
- Brand owners: Producers who manufacture products under their own brand.
- Licensees: Those licensed to produce a covered product.
- Importers or distributors: Importers or distributors of covered products.
If none of these parties have registered, Ecology may require the brand owner to identify the responsible producer.
De minimis producers
If your total annual sales in Washington for a product category are under one ton or generate less than $1 million in gross revenue, you qualify as a de minimis producer. This category is exempt from PCRC and fee requirements, though de minimis producers must register and submit an annual de minimis prodcuer notification of status through SAW.
Public plastic producer list
The public plastic producer list includes all producers who have registered with Ecology as required by state law. This list is updated regularly and provides transparency on which producers are meeting the minimum recycled-content requirements for plastic products sold, offered for sale, or distributed in Washington.
Help us keep the producer list accurate
We want to ensure that the fee division is as fair as possible, and your input helps make that happen. If you notice a producer who should be on the list but isn’t, please let us know by contacting the Recycled Content Team at recycledcontent@ecy.wa.gov.
By notifying us of missing producers, you help ensure that all producers are properly registered, which makes the fee structure more equitable for everyone.
Learn about Who is a Producer by watching Part 3 of our recorded presentation series.
Registration and reporting process
To comply with state regulations, all producers must register using the Waste Reduction Portal via SecureAccess Washington (SAW) by April 1. Covered products require an additional annual report detailing the amount of PCRC used.
- Create a SAW Account
- Instructions for setting up an account and registration profile are available in our Guidance for post-consumer recycled content law.
- Access the Waste Reduction Portal
- All registration, reporting, and temporary exclusion applications are submitted through this portal.
- De Minimis Notification
- De minimis producers must notify Ecology of their status via the portal but are exempt from PCRC requirements and fees.
- Third-Party Representatives
- Third-party representatives may register and submit reports on behalf of producers. However, producers remain responsible for compliance.
Learn about registering and reporting by watching Part 4 of our recorded presentation series, Part 4: How to register and report.
Annual fees and penalties
To support the implementation of Chapter 70A.245 RCW, Ecology assesses fees for program administration based on the amount of plastic resin sold in Washington.
Fees
- Program Administration Fee: Charged to all registered producers, except de minimis producers.
- PCRC Oversight Fee: Applies only to producers submitting PCRC reports.
Non-Compliance Penalties
Failure to register, report, or meet PCRC requirements may result in civil penalties:
- Failure to Register, Label, or Report: Penalties up to $1,000 per day, after two Notices of Violation.
- Failure to Meet PCRC Requirements: Assessed starting June 1 based on prior year’s compliance.
Learn about Annual Fees and Penalties by watching Part 5 of our recorded presentation series, Part 5: How to register and report.
Workload analysis
We will publish an annual workload analysis (WLA) by the end of January each year.
The WLA outlines the estimated costs Ecology expects to incur to implement, administer, and enforce the PCRC requirements of RCW 70A.245 for the following fiscal year (July 1 through June 30 of the next year) for two workload categories.
Contact information
Recycled-content team
recycledcontent@ecy.wa.gov