REPORT: Projected Economic Benefits of the New York Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act

guidespublications

Apr 16

Written By Eve Fox

APRIL 2025 | BEYOND PLASTICS

New York's Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (PRRIA) (Assembly Bill 1749 / Senate Bill 1464) offers a solution to New York State’s growing packaging waste crisis: an opportunity to reduce packaging waste by 30%, cut down the use of toxic chemicals in packaging, and improve recycling rates across the state. Beyond Plastics' report finds that this legislation — introduced by Assemblywoman Deborah Glick and Senator Pete Harckham — will also save New Yorkers a significant amount of money.

According to our analysis, New Yorkers will save an estimated $1.3 billion over the next 10 years when PRRIA is passed and adopted, all while addressing a growing threat to public health and the environment. Our report outlines the financial burden of New York’s current packaging waste problem, the avoided costs of waste management when there’s less waste to manage under PRRIA, and the estimated savings New Yorkers can expect to see following the bill’s adoption. New York City alone is estimated to save $818 million in the first decade of PRRIA — Long Island, $142 million.

To estimate savings, our analysis compared current collection and disposal costs to a future where PRRIA’s required waste reduction, reuse, and recycling targets are achieved. The analysis focused on the savings — or avoided costs — of collecting packaging waste and taking it to landfills, incinerators, and recycling facilities under PRRIA. When quantities of packaging waste are lowered under PRRIA, collection and disposal expenditures are also lowered; these are “avoided costs.”

PRRIA offers a bold, necessary step forward for waste reduction. As the analysis shows, adopting this bill will not only come with public health and environmental benefits but also financial gain for New Yorkers. As New York’s landfills fill up, its incinerators age, and packaging waste continues to mount, state legislators have a choice. Do they let this crisis worsen, burdening future generations, or do they take action now with this commonsense solution that will benefit us all?

    
    Sample Table
    
Savings in the First 10 Years of PRRIA, by DEC Region

        DEC Region
        Counties/Areas Included
        Savings Over 10 Years
    
        1
        Long Island
        $142 million
    
        2
        New York City
        $818 million
    
        3
        Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties
        $103 million
    
        4
        Capital District: Albany, Columbia, Delaware, Greene, Montgomery, Otsego, Rensselaer, Schenectady, and Schoharie counties
        $33 million
      
        5
        Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties
        $17 million
    
        6
        Lewis, Oneida, and St. Lawrence counties
        $10 million
    
        7
        Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga, Oswego, Tioga, and Tompkins counties
        $46 million
    
        8
        Chemung, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, and Yates counties

        $46 million
    
        9
        Western New York: Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Niagara, and Wyoming counties
        $50 million

GET THE REPORT & OTHER KEY DOCUMENTS

TAKE ACTION

Urge your New York State Legislators to co-sponsor and prioritize passage of the Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act this legislative session. Fill out the form below to email your State Senator and Assemblymember about PRRIA now. If you have any issues with the form below, please click here to participate.

SHARE THE REPORT AND CHECKLIST

We’ve put together a simple sharing toolkit to make it easy to spread the word about the report and checklist. The toolkit includes graphics, sample text for sharing it on social media, a sample outreach email, and an easy to print out black and white two-page handout that includes the checklist that you can leave with restaurants in your area.

GET THE TOOLKIT >>