Pass NY bill to shift burden of plastic recycling to producers (Your Letters)

To the Editor:

Regarding the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (S4246/A5322):

New Yorkers do our part to recycle and reduce our waste, but we can’t recycle, reduce and reuse our way out of the 15 million tons of plastic waste produced in New York annually. We need strong legislation to shift the burden of recycling to the companies that produce single-use plastic packaging. The Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Bill (S4246/A5322) is designed to do that. Its goals are to reduce wasteful plastic packaging by 50% in 12 years, establish a process to ban the addition of toxic chemicals to packaging, invest in reuse and refill infrastructure, and provide strong oversight and accountability. Among other things, this bill will establish a waste reduction and reuse infrastructure fund in which each packaging reduction and recycling organization will deposit money into a fund that will be used for collection, reuse, washing and redistribution systems.

This bill will also prohibit the sale of packaging containing known carcinogens including, but not limited to, ortho-phthalates, bisphenols, PFAS and heavy metals, including lead, cadmium and mercury. For too long, New Yorkers have been exposed to these and other carcinogens. Over 99% of humans now have these per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds in our bodies. These “forever chemicals” bioaccumulate and are known to be hormone disruptors. This bill, if passed and signed, will help reduce our exposure to these chemicals in plastic packaging materials.

Maine, Oregon, Colorado and California have implemented similar programs with great success. It is time for New York to do so, as well.

Kim Cameron

Founder, Beyond Plastics Onondaga-Cortland Counties

Tully

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