TACOMA, Wash. – The City Council unanimously approved an ordinance to implement a new tiered recycling tax deduction for solid waste businesses. This policy aims to incentivize solid waste businesses to recycle greater amounts of the materials they haul when possible. Effective January 1, 2025, the estimated annual tax revenues from the business of hauling solid waste materials is expected to be $975,000, contributing a total of $1,950,000 to the General Fund in the 2025-2026 biennium. The General Fund supports police and fire services, street repair and maintenance, libraries, and many other programs that support our community.
“Further supporting recycling in our city is vital for protecting our environment and meeting the goals of our Climate Action Plan,” said Deputy Mayor John Hines. “In the past year, I have held multiple roundtable discussions with leaders from our recycling industry to learn about their concerns and led a collaborative process on our policy regarding recycling tax deductions. These roundtables were very successful, and our collaboration enabled the City to create a new recycling certification program that establishes a tiered tax deduction system through our Special Permits process that can serve as a model for other cities in the state. This policy aims to not only incentivize more recycling, but also to help address the problem of sham recycling haulers who take advantage of our residents. I see these roundtables as a model for how the City can work alongside our community to ensure that our proposals serve everyone, including our residents, businesses and our local economy.”
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