ALBANY – State Senator Peter Harckham said Tuesday that his Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, which would shift waste-management costs from local governments to producers, is being endorsed by three-quarters of registered voters in New York.
Harckham, whose district encompasses four of Putnam’s six towns in addition to sections of northern Westchester and a sliver of Rockland County called on his colleagues in the state legislature to approve the bill and for Governor Kathy Hochul to sign it into law.
“New Yorkers could save hundreds of millions of dollars each year by reducing the amount of packaging waste their municipalities must handle,” said Harckham, adding: “As we continue to face an affordability crisis, we should recognize both the significant cost savings and the public health protections that the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act would provide. Let’s pass this landmark bill now!”
According to a report from the Center for Sustainable Materials Management, recycling in New York cost an estimated $788 million last year. By contrast, Harckham’s proposed legislation would save New Yorkers $1.3 billion over a decade. The report also found that nine communities would save a combined $411 million annually.
Although industry often says its packaging is fully recyclable, less than 6 percent of plastic is actually recycled and most of the rest is incinerated. New York has 11 trash incinerators and 28 landfills, which contribute to toxins from packaging waste entering soil and water.
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