In a time when many people feel disheartened by what is happening in government, here in NY we have an amazing opportunity to pass groundbreaking legislation this year.
The Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (S1464a – Harckham / A1749a – Glick) bans 13 of the most harmful chemical groups currently used in packaging, reduces plastic packaging by 30% over the next 12 years, prohibits chemical recycling, and requires 75% of the remaining packaging to be reused or recycled by 2052.
It also saves tax dollars by shifting the cost of managing packaging waste from taxpayers to the companies who create it, and protects environmental justice communities throughout the state by significantly reducing waste going to incinerators, landfills, and transfer stations.
This last detail is particularly critical for Westchester, which, unbeknownst to most residents, currently burns trash in Peekskill, creating toxic ash and air pollution for us all to breathe.
Plastics used to be considered only an environmental issue. Recent studies now prove that it interferes with our health in myriad ways, including increased risk of heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease, so eliminating 13 groups of toxins from packaging is critical.
The best part is the bill is projected to save NYS 1.3 BILLION dollars in the first ten years, 103 million of which will be here in the Hudson Valley! We must all thank Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins for passing PRRIA the past two years in a row, and urge her and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie to bring PRRIA to the floor for a vote this session.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Horowitz
Beyond Plastics Lower Westchester
