(1) The legislature finds and declares that it is the public policy of the state that: (a) Environmental marketing claims for plastic products, whether implicit or implied, should adhere to uniform and recognized standards for "compostability" and "biodegradability," since misleading, confusing, and deceptive labeling can negatively impact local composting programs and compost processors. Plastic products marketed as being "compostable" should be readily and easily identifiable as meeting these standards; (b) Legitimate and responsible packaging and plastic product manufacturers are already properly labeling their compostable products, but many manufacturers are not. Not all compost facilities and their associated processing technologies accept or are required to accept compostable packaging as feedstocks. However, implementing a standardized system and test methods may create the ability for them to take these products in the future. (2) Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature to authorize the department of ecology, cities, and counties to pursue false or misleading environmental claims and "greenwashing" for plastic products claiming to be "compostable" or "biodegradable" when in fact they are not.
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