(1) The Washington materials management and financing authority is established as a public body corporate and politic, constituting an instrumentality of the state of Washington exercising essential governmental functions.

(2) The authority shall plan and implement a collection, transportation, and recycling program for manufacturers that have registered with the department their intent to participate in the standard program as required under RCW 70A.500.040.

(3) Membership in the authority is comprised of registered participating manufacturers. Any registered manufacturer who does not qualify or is not approved to submit an independent plan, or whose independent plan has not been approved by the department, is a member of the authority. All new entrants and white box manufacturers are also members of the authority.

(4) The authority shall act as a business management organization on behalf of the citizens of the state to manage financial resources and contract for services for collection, transportation, and recycling of covered electronic products.

(5) The authority's standard plan is responsible for collecting, transporting, and recycling the sum of the equivalent shares of each participating manufacturer.

(6) The authority shall accept into the standard program covered electronic products from any registered collector who meets the requirements of this chapter. The authority shall compensate registered collectors for the reasonable costs associated with collection, but is not required to compensate nor restricted from compensating the additional collection costs resulting from the additional convenience offered to customers through premium and curbside services.

(7) The authority shall accept and utilize in the standard program any registered processor meeting the requirements of this chapter and any requirements described in the authority's operating plan or through contractual arrangements. Processors utilized by the standard plan shall provide documentation to the authority at least annually regarding how they are meeting the requirements in RCW 70A.500.250, including enough detail to allow the standard plan to meet its reporting requirements in RCW 70A.500.140(2)(c), and must submit to audits conducted by or for the authority. The authority shall compensate such processors for the reasonable costs, as determined by the authority, associated with processing unwanted electronic products. Such processors must demonstrate that the unwanted electronic products have been received from registered collectors or transporters, and provide other documentation as may be required by the authority.

(8) Except as specifically allowed in this chapter, the authority shall operate without using state funds or lending the credit of the state or local governments.

(9) The authority shall develop innovative approaches to improve materials management efficiency in order to ensure and increase the use of secondary material resources within the economy.