Environmental wins and work ahead: 2025 Washington State legislative session recap  

The Washington State Legislature wrapped up its 2025 session last week, passing several bills that aim to protect both people and the environment while also laying the groundwork for continued progress in future sessions.

Among the bills passed were updates to last year’s legislation limiting the amount of lead in household cookware, as well as new laws requiring companies to provide the tools and information consumers need to repair their own electronics and mobility devices like wheelchairs—helping divert both garbage and toxic waste from landfills.

Safer Cookware and Right to Repair: What Made It Through

While last year’s passage of the law to reduce lead in cookware (based off the research of the Haz Waste Program) was a major victory in protecting people in King County and across the state, the passing of SB 5628 sets the stage for making it a reality by shaping how the new rules are implemented. The bill takes effect starting in 2026 and helps get the most toxic cookware and utensils off store shelves by setting new, enforceable thresholds. It then lowers those thresholds over the next two years so that by 2028, cookware manufacturers won’t be allowed to sell items with more than trace amounts of lead in the state. This is a notable achievement as research conducted by the Haz Waste Program revealed that many cookware items contain lead, which can be especially harmful to children, leading to irreversible brain damage and other health issues. 

Along with the cookware legislation, lawmakers passed two bills mandating that electronics and wheelchair manufacturers provide the needed tools, parts, and documents to allow consumers to fix their items, while placing the state Department of Commerce in charge of overseeing the change. Combined, HB 1483 and SB 5680 will allow customers to maintain their products longer, keeping more items out of the landfill and enabling people to properly dispose of batteries and other hazardous materials.

Seeds Planted for Future Sessions

Rarely does a piece of legislation make it through on its first attempt. It can sometimes take two or three sessions before it’s fine-tuned and gains enough traction to break through. With the state budget taking up the bulk of lawmakers’ attention in 2025, several promising bills didn’t cross the finish line—but laid important groundwork for future success. Here are a few bills to watch in the coming sessions:

Safer Personal Care Products
HB 2008 – Testing for harmful chemicals in hygiene products: Would require the Department of Ecology to test products like tampons, diapers, and other personal hygiene items for potentially harmful chemicals.

What’s in Your Clothes?
HB 1107 – Environmental impacts of the fashion industry: Would require clothing and footwear manufacturers to disclose the presence of harmful chemicals (like formaldehyde, PFAS, and phthalates) in their products. Ecology would also need to study and recommend ways to reduce the industry’s environmental footprint.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) – Reducing Waste and Industry Impacts
HB 1420 – Responsible recycling for textiles: Would require producers of clothing and other textiles to create and fund a statewide system for collecting and managing used textiles—similar to current EPR programs for items like electronics, paint, and batteries.

EV Batteries
HB 1550 & SB 5586 – Managing the end-of-life of EV batteries: Would set up new requirements for tracking and managing EV batteries, including registration, reporting, and recycling standards—filling a gap in the current battery law.

Reducing Toxic Pollution from Aircraft
HB 1084 – Tax breaks for unleaded aviation fuel: Would provide tax exemptions for businesses and individuals using lead-free aircraft fuel. The goal is to speed up the transition away from leaded fuels, which are a known health hazard.

Youth Health and Tobacco Prevention
HB 1203 & SB 5183 – Banning flavored tobacco and vaping products: Would prohibit the sale, marketing, and display of flavored tobacco, nicotine, and vapor products, including those labeled as “entertainment” vaping items. Disposable vaping devices are a growing source of hazardous waste and are expensive to process. 

Rail Safety and Spill Prevention
HB 1862 – Capping train length to prevent derailments: Would ban trains longer than 8,500 feet. Longer trains are more prone to derailments, which can result in hazardous spills and environmental damage.

Every year brings progress, and this year was no different. And though not every one of these bills crossed the finish line, each one represents growing momentum for healthier communities and a cleaner environment. The Haz Waste Program will be watching closely as these proposals evolve and continue supporting efforts that reduce toxic exposures and waste across King County and the state.