About Organics Contamination Reduction Workgroup (OCRW)

The Organics Contamination Reduction Workgroup (OCRW) was formed in May 2015 to help reduce contamination in municipal residential and commercial organics feedstocks delivered to local processors while concurrently expanding end products and markets for finished compost.  Comprised of a wide array of over 90 stakeholders from municipal, county, and state government; processors; packaging manufacturers; environmental consultants; waste and recycling haulers; advocacy groups; private business and industry; and interested residents, the real work of the OCRW was accomplished within four interrelated subcommittees:  Contractual Policies, Participant Education and Outreach, Upstream Systems & Organics Processing.

The Washington State Organics Contamination Workgroup Report and Toolkit report is a culmination of two years of genuine collaboration among those stakeholders across the State participating in one or more subcommittees.  The content of the report is a direct reflection of the extraordinary level of dedication, expertise, and contributions of participants.  But the work of the OCRW is not done, and this report and its recommendations merely serve as a jumping off point for the ongoing and important conversation surrounding organics contamination that must continue until organics contamination is substantially eliminated in our residential and commercial feedstocks.