(1) The legislature finds:

(a) Washington state is experiencing rapid population growth and its citizens are increasingly mobile;

(b) There is a fundamental need for a healthful, clean, and beautiful environment;

(c) The proliferation and accumulation of litter discarded throughout this state impairs this need and constitutes a public health hazard;

(d) There is a need to conserve energy and natural resources, and the effective litter control and recovery and recycling of litter materials will serve to accomplish such conservation;

(e) In addition to effective litter control, there must be effective programs to accomplish waste reduction, the state's highest waste management priority; and

(f) There must also be effective systems to accomplish all components of recycling, including collection and processing.

(2) Recognizing the multifaceted nature of the state's solid waste management problems, the legislation enacted in 1971 and entitled the "Model Litter Control and Recycling Act" is hereby renamed the "waste reduction, recycling, and model litter control act."

Effective date—1992 c 175: See RCW 82.19.900.