Help Put People Over Plastic In New York!
New York State is poised to pass the most comprehensive packaging reduction legislation in the country—the Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act (S1464/A1749) introduced by Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblymember Deborah Glick. In June 2024, the Senate passed the bill! Unfortunately, the Assembly ran out of time before adjourning.
Now we have another chance to pass this bill that would save taxpayers and municipalities money, force polluting companies to pay to deal with their packaging waste, get 14 of the most toxic chemicals and substances out of packaging (including lead, PFAS, formaldehyde, phthalates, bisphenols, vinyl chloride, cadmium, mercury, benzene, halogenated flame retardants, perchlorate, toluene, and more), and require companies to reduce their packaging by 30% over 12 years.
Please join us and our allies in urging your New York State legislators to support and work to pass the Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act by taking the following actions ASAP.
VIDEOS
1. Call Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie to urge them to prioritize passage of the Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act this session. Get the phone numbers and a simple script here. >>
2. Call your State Senator and Assemblymember to urge them to co-sponsor and work to pass the Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act this session. Get the numbers and talking points here. >>
3. Email your State Senator and Assemblymember to urge them to co-sponsor and work to pass the Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act this spring. Contact them now. >>
4. Write a letter to the editor. Guess who reads local and regional papers? Your legislators and their staff! That makes your letter to the editor a powerful way to help convince your legislators to pass the Packaging Reduction Act. We’ve prepared detailed guidance and a sample letter you can adapt to help you to write a letter to the editor that will be published and will help move the needle to make packaging reduction law in NY. Get started now. >>
RESOURCES
MEMO OF SUPPORT: 155 Groups Support The New York Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act | January 28, 2025
TESTIMONY: Judith Enck, President, Beyond Plastics and Former EPA Regional Administrator before the New York State Joint Budget Hearing | January 28, 2025
FACT SHEET: Why Colorado’s EPR Law Should Not Be Replicated | August 2024
Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act - Main Provisions | July 2024
NEWS RELEASE: New Poll: 82% of NY Voters Say Single-Use Plastic Packaging Is a Problem | May 2024
FACT SHEET: How Microplastics Get Into the Human Body | May 2024
FACT SHEET: What Plastics Reduction Looks Like | May 2024
32 Municipalities Support The Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act | May 2024
Ripped From The Headlines: Plastic Harms Human Health | May 2024
Polluter Pays: New York Taxpayers Save When Companies Pay to Deal With Packaging Waste |
April 26, 2024One-page flier on the Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act in color (PDF) | March 2024
Memo of Support for the Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act | May 2024
Testimony (written) : Alexis Goldsmith, Organizing Director, Beyond Plastics before the New York
State Joint Committee on Environmental Conservation In support of the Bigger Better Bottle Bill
(Senate bill 237/Senator May, Assembly bill 6353/Assemblymember Glick) | October 23, 2023
(View video of testimony)Fact Sheet: The Worst of the Worst: High-Priority Plastic Materials, Chemical Additives, and Products
to Phase Out | NRDC | October 2023NEWS
Beyond Plastics | As Plastics Industry Boasts About Their Political Access in Albany, Taxpayers Get to Foot the Bill for Their Plastic Pollution | 1/29/2025
City & State NY | Environmental advocates recycle campaign against plastic packaging for new session | 1/28/2025
New York Times | New York Has a Week to Pass Laws on Social Media and Plastics. Will It? | 6/3/2024
Albany Times Union | We're choking on plastics. Here's a chance to do something about it. | 6/3/2024
Newsday | NYS legislative session's final week: Top issues are social media, climate change | 6/3/2024
Gothamist | NY social media regulation, bottle refunds on deck as NY legislative session ends | 6/3/2024
Yonkers Ledger | 23 Westchester Elected Officials Urge Senator Stewart-Cousins to Reduce Plastic Packaging by 50% | 5/31/2024
Beyond Plastics | 23 Westchester Elected Officials Urge Senator Stewart-Cousins to Reduce Plastic Packaging by 50% | 5/31/2024
Buffalo News | Key bills percolating in Albany as Legislature's session nears end | 5/31/2024
Buffalo News | The Editorial Board: These bills will help advance New York's sustainability mission | 5/29/2024
Spectrum News | Supporters of New York plastics reduction bill make final push in the face of 'formidable' opposition | 5/28/2024
LoHud | Advocates Tell Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins 'People over Plastic' as Session Winds Down | 5/28/2024
New York Times | The Push to Control Plastic Waste in New York: What to Know | 5/27/2024
WAER | Environmental Bills Dominate End of Session Priorities for Two CNY state lawmakers | 5/27/2024
Black Westchester | Westchester Residents Urge Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins: Put People Over Plastics! | 5/23/2024
Beyond Plastics | New Poll: 82% of NY Voters Say Single-Use Plastic Packaging Is a Problem | 5/22/2024
NY Daily News | Reduce wrapping, reduce waste: Cut plastic to save money and the environment | 5/20/2024
Albany Times Union | Uncap This Bottle Bill | 5/15/2024
Beyond Plastics | New York City Leaders Unite For Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act | 5/9/2024
Beyond Plastics | Judith Enck Challenges America’s Plastic Makers to a ‘Cheese Debate’ | 5/8/2024
Bloomberg Law | New York Lawmakers Renew Effort to Reduce Single-Use Plastics | 4/10/2024
Beyond Plastics | Hidden Cost of Plastics: New Study Shows Single-Use Plastics Worse for Health Than Previously Known | 3/25/2024
City Limits | Chemical Industry Amps Up Lobbying to Block New York’s Waste Reduction Bill | 3/7/2024
ExxonKnews | Why the oil and chemical lobby is taking aim at New York’s plastic waste bill | 3/4/2024
Gothamist | New York Lawmakers Push Bill to Crack Down on Plastic Packaging | 2/28/24
ABC7 Eyewitness News | New Bill Aims To Tackle Plastic Packaging and Recycling | 2/28/24
WNYC FM Radio | NYS Lawmakers Want To Charge Businesses Fees Based on How Much Plastic Packaging They Produce | 2/27/24
Beyond Plastics | New York Is Not Disposable: 300+ Advocates, Environmental Leaders, and Lawmakers Rally at New York State Capitol to Fight Plastic Pollution | 2/27/24
Inside Climate News | Environmental Groups Eye a Potential Win with New York Packaging Bill | 2/20/24
Beyond Plastics | Legislation to Curb Plastic Pollution Gains Momentum; Passes Environmental Conservation Committee and Secures Majority of Assembly and Senate Support | 2/13/24
WXXI | Environmentalists Say Cutting the Amount of Plastic Packaging In Products by Half Is a Goal | 1/18/24
Channel 13 | The Push To Reduce Plastic Packaging Across New York State | 1/18/24
Packaging Dive | Environmental Advocates Renew Push for New York EPR Bill | 1/18/24
City & State NY | Quite a few lawmakers are on board to reduce NY plastic packaging by half | 1/18/24
Politico NY | Five environmental issues to watch this session | 1-8-24
WXXI News | Supporters of reducing plastic packaging say a hearing on the bill signals progress | 10-27-23
