End Plastics
Will New York Lead the Way on Plastic Reform?
June 5, 2025
Just last week, the New York State Senate passed a sweeping environmental bill aimed at reducing plastic waste and making corporations responsible for the pollution they create. This legislation, the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (PRRI), now faces the State Assembly, which must vote on it before adjourning on June 12th. If passed, this would be the most comprehensive legislation of its kind in the United States, addressing plastic pollution, public health, taxpayer costs, and corporate accountability.
What is the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act?
The PRRI Act a structural overhaul of how packaging is managed in New York, from production to disposal and possible reuse. The bill requires a 30% reduction in all plastic packaging over the next twelve years. It also demands that all packaging, whether plastic, paper or cardboard, be at least 75% recyclable by 2025.
To close loopholes, the bill clearly defines what qualifies as recycling. For years, companies have pointed to chemical recycling, which is the process of melting plastic back into its ingredients so that it can be made into something new, as a solution. The issue is only 1-14% of plastics sent to these plants are actually recycled, while the rest are burned as fuel, producing much more pollution than the original plastics and causing intense environmental and health impacts. So, the bill explicitly excludes chemical recycling from its definition of recycling.
The bill also takes direct aim at toxicity, banning 17 of the most harmful chemicals commonly used in packaging, including PFAS and PVC, both of which are known to have detrimental long-term effects on human health and the environment.
What sets this legislation apart, and gives it a real chance at success, is how it shifts responsibility. For decades, local governments and taxpayers have paid the costs of collecting and disposing of waste while corporations were allowed to continue to produce unchecked amounts of packaging.
While consumers can make a difference in many ways, it is corporations that must take the lead. As the producers of these materials, they have the power to change the market. But all companies must act together, or we risk those who avoid accountability (by paying less and thus offering lower-cost products) undercutting those that are doing the right thing and thus might have to raise prices to cover the costs of healthier packaging. This is where legislation must come in to incentivise that all companies take accountability and create a level playing field.
The PRRI Act does this by creating a framework for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), meaning if companies create packaging waste, they must also fund its cleanup. This actively incentivises them to reduce their packaging waste to save clean up costs later on. And to make sure they are paying what they must, the legislation establishes an Office of Inspector General, tasked with oversight and enforcement. These reforms are projected to save New Yorkers $1.3 billion over the next decade.
The Cost of Plastic
The necessity for this legislation becomes even clearer when you examine the true scale of plastic’s impact. Each year, an estimated 33 billion pounds of plastic make their way into the world’s oceans, where they harm ecosystems, kill and poison wildlife, and eventually re-enter our own food chain and water supplies. Because plastic is made from fossil fuels, basically oil, its production is also a significant driver of climate change, warming the planet four times faster than air travel.
Plastic doesn’t disappear after we put it in our bins. It breaks down into microplastics, which are now found virtually everywhere, from the deepest parts of the ocean to the air in our cities. These microscopic fragments are making their way into our bodies, as are the toxic plastic chemicals that leach from them too.
Health = Wealth
This legislation will save citizens money directly because it is the plastic producers who will have to pay to clean up the trash their packaging creates. But it benefits people in other ways too. Microplastics have now been found in human placentas, breast milk, hearts, brains, blood, and lungs. Scientists are only now beginning to understand the full implications of this, but emerging research is deeply concerning. Microplastic exposure has been associated with increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, and premature death.
Reducing our exposure to plastic isn’t just good environmental policy. It’s a public health necessity. The PRRI Act, by limiting toxic materials and cutting the overall presence of plastic in our environment, helps pave the way for a safer, healthier future.
What Can You Do?
The clock is ticking, this Act must pass before the state assembly adjourns June 12. But things are looking up as the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act has already passed two Assembly committees and is headed to Ways and Means before a possible floor vote.
If you are a constituent of New York state, we urge you to contact your Assembly member. You can search for your member via your address and can find their contact information through the member directory. A letter, email, call, or X expressing your support will make a difference. Pressure from the public can sway prioritization of the legislative docket. It’s time to act to support the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act – make your voice heard and let’s start to end the scourge of plastic pollution.
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