generated in the United States each year, yet less than half of this material is being recycled. Packaging and printed paper are generated at the rate of 95 million tons per year and only 49 million tons (52%) are recycled each year. This represents over 45 million tons of wasted packaging resources each and every year.1 The recycling rate for packaging and printed paper in Washington State has reached 54 percent, slightly higher than the US average and other states. Unfortunately, the percentage of materials recycled has plateaued over the past few years despite the fact that curbside recycling programs have expanded and are now available to 80 percent of Washington residents and drop-off recycling is available to the other 20 percent of the population who do not have access to curbside recycling.2 The purpose of this report is to stimulate dialogue among the various stakeholders in the solid waste and recycling systems in Washington State and to examine alternative ways to finance and incentivize recycling programs in the state. The goal of the dialogue would be to help identify and craft viable opportunities to move toward increased recycling of packaging and printed paper in Washington. The report provides an overview of the current recycling system in Washington State and explores ways to increase the rate of recycling, especially for packaging and printed paper. Several successful recycling programs in Europe and Canada are featured in this report as examples of programs that have achieved recycling rates between 60 and 90 percent. Recycling programs in those countries employ the concept of product stewardship, whereby the product producer is responsible for financing and ensuring the delivery of the recycling program. In many countries, local municipalities and private sector waste hauling companies are utilized to provide the collection services.