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About the Plan

The Beyond Waste Plan, issued in November 2004 and updated in 2009, is a 30 year plan for eliminating wastes and the use of toxic substances. Beyond Waste meets requirements for statewide solid- and hazardous-waste plans for Washington state. The plan consists of the 2009 Plan Update Summary, PLUS 12 in-depth background papers.

The 2009 Beyond Waste Plan Update
Like local solid waste plans, the state plan needs updating every five years. Significant input and research went into writing the original Beyond Waste Plan, and the plan still provides the state with good direction. The update continues with the vision to eliminate most wastes and toxic substances by 2035, building on the five initiatives and two current issues sections laid out in the original plan. The overall plan structure and all of the background papers written as part of the original plan remain unchanged. Many of the recommendations and milestones also stayed the same.

What's changed? We've strengthened the focus on product stewardship and prevention; their importance has only increased over the last five years. We improved the Implementation Plan, adding a section that more clearly defines local governments' role. We also more closely aligned the plan with agency priorities on mitigating climate change, protecting Washington waters, and reducing toxic threats. That's because Beyond Waste is about more than just waste.

There are some new and improved recommendations and milestones. These changes came from many sources, including the state Climate Action Team, state and agency priorities, Ecology staff, the state Solid Waste Advisory Committee, public input, and lessons learned during the first five years. We also made milestones more measurable and better aligned with recommendations to keep them on track to meet the 30-year goals.

The Beyond Waste Plan is about more than just waste.
Implementing the Beyond Waste Plan will not only help reduce waste; it will also bring us closer to meeting many other environmental goals. These goals include mitigating climate change, protecting Washington waters, reducing toxic threats, and creating a green economy. Read more... Beyond Waste is about more than just waste

Transforming to Beyond Waste

Reducing waste and toxic substances saves money for consumers, local governments, and businesses. It creates additional and more desirable jobs. And of course, it protects our health and the environment, and helps minimize greenhouse gas emissions.

Beyond Waste will transform the environmental regulatory climate in Washington as toxic ingredients and wastes are eliminated at the source. This will slowly do away with the true costs of hazardous materials which society pays in the form of increased health care, environmental clean-ups, and degraded ecosystems. Building reuse and recycling into goods and services will reduce waste management and liability costs and improve the bottom line for business. If wastes and toxics aren't generated in the first place, there is little left to regulate. We can reduce industry costs and government regulation while creating new markets for non-toxic products and services and a cleaner environment.

Moving Beyond Waste provides many benefits, but it will take a change in the way we think and act. We have to change the mindset that wastes and toxics are normal and necessary. And we have to create the closed-loop infrastructure to reuse and recycle materials, replacing our current linear system of resource extraction, manufacture, use, and disposal.

Additional thinking behind the Beyond Waste Plan.

• The Beyond Waste Project is a strategic response to a long-term problem.
  We have good waste management in the state of Washington. Many businesses work hard to comply with environmental regulations. Waste management companies have put in place an excellent disposal infrastructure for Washington. Many citizens choose to recycle. But in the long-term, what we are doing is not nearly enough. We continue to use dangerous chemicals in our products, with increasing impacts to human health and the environment. Our waste disposal has increased much more quickly than our population has. As a society we can no longer afford to produce toxic materials and wastes.
• The Beyond Waste Project is built on a long-range vision.
  This plan is designed around a 30-year vision to greatly reduce and - where possible - eliminate waste and the use of toxic materials. It emphasizes building partnerships and infrastructure to make changes in an orderly, effective and economically viable manner. The focus is on the use of environmentally-sound practices through the use of positive tools such as: collaborative agreements; incentives; better measurements; infrastructure and market development; and using state purchasing power and leadership to promote best practices.
• Much scientific and policy research has shaped the Beyond Waste Plan.
  Ecology staff and consultants spent several years researching science and policy to identify the actions that would be of greatest benefit to public health and long-term economic and environmental sustainability. The plan recommendations build on areas where there is momentum and opportunity.
• Washington citizens, businesses and local governments worked in partnership with Ecology to give the project its 30-year vision.
  Ecology staff worked with diverse stakeholders throughout the state. We worked with the State Solid Waste Advisory Committee, the Solid Waste Policy Forum, Public Health officials and other groups representing both public and private sector interests. We surveyed businesses and conducted focus groups to better understand businesses' needs. Hundreds of people gave feedback. People told us that we have to move beyond the idea of waste. We need to view wastes as resources to fuel a healthy economy and environment.