Supporting student-led efforts to encourage composting and recycling in public schools, the Washington state Senate recently passed legislation to further enable the environmentally friendly practices.

Senate Bill 6168, sponsored by Sen. Patty Kuderer, D-Bellevue, was initially drafted by students from Lake Washington High School through the state-funded Capitol Classroom program sponsored by TVW.

“I’m thrilled that the Senate was able to acknowledge the hard work of our dedicated teens from Lake Washington by passing this legislation, which has been in the making for years,” Kuderer said. “This is the type of civic engagement that we need to be encouraging in schools across Washington, giving students a sense of ownership and showing that they too can influence the future of their state.”

In addition to allowing public schools to offer students the opportunity to recycle and compost their food waste, the bill also permits the state to provide free pickup of compost and to provide supplies such as bins and compost bags.

SB 6168 passed out of the Senate unanimously and now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.