NEW YORK – New York lawmakers failed to advance the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (S.1464-a/A.1749-a), legislation that would have reduced plastic packaging, phased out some of the most toxic chemicals used in packaging, and required producers to pay for the collection and management of packaging waste.
The bill would have required a 30% reduction in plastic packaging over the next 12 years and phased out 13 toxic chemicals and materials used in packaging, including PFAS "forever chemicals." It also would have shifted the cost of managing packaging waste away from taxpayers and onto the companies that generate it.
“This is a disappointing outcome for New Yorkers who are demanding action on plastic pollution and toxic chemicals,” said Kirstie Pecci, Executive Director at Just Zero. “We need to turn off the plastic tap, especially when it comes to unnecessary single-use packaging. By failing to advance this legislation, lawmakers have missed a critical opportunity to reduce plastic waste, protect public health, and hold producers accountable for the waste they create.”
The bill also would have strengthened recycling requirements, setting a goal for packaging to achieve a 75% recycling rate by 2055. Importantly, it would not have allowed so-called "chemical recycling" – a costly and polluting process that fails to deliver on its promises – to count toward that goal. Often promoted by the plastics industry as a solution, “chemical recycling” does little to address the root causes of our waste crisis. New York had an opportunity to reject this false solution and chart a path toward real reductions in plastic pollution.
Despite broad support from environmental organizations, community leaders, and grassroots advocates across the state, the legislation faced fierce opposition from powerful interests in the petrochemical and plastics industries.
“While this outcome is deeply frustrating, the strong coalition behind this bill has fundamentally changed the conversation around plastic pollution in New York,” said Pecci. “We are especially grateful to Beyond Plastics and the countless local grassroots advocates who worked tirelessly to move this legislation forward. Their leadership has brought us closer than ever to meaningful reform. The need for action has not gone away. New Yorkers deserve policies that reduce plastic packaging, eliminate toxic chemicals, and protect communities from the growing impacts of plastic pollution.”
Attorneys at Just Zero worked with Beyond Plastics on the original draft of the legislation and remained engaged throughout years of negotiations and revisions.
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Just Zero is a national environmental non-profit that works to implement proven and effective solutions to our waste crisis while also protecting people and the planet.