Albany, NY – New York State Senator Pete Harckham announced today that the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (PRRIA) has successfully advanced through the Senate’s Environmental Conservation Committee, which he chairs.

Solid waste, which has been rising steadily over the years, presents a serious challenge for New York’s environment and the health of New Yorkers, as well as a burden on taxpayers. New York State’s 25 municipal solid waste landfills could be full within the next 15 years, according to the NYS Solid Waste Management Plan. Incineration of waste creates air quality issues and increases greenhouse gas emissions. Further, municipalities bear the burden of collecting, sorting, and processing waste, driving up costs for taxpayers.

PRRIA (S.1464/A.1749) aims to significantly reduce packaging waste by requiring companies to reduce overall packaging use, improve recyclability, fund recycling infrastructure, support municipal recycling programs, and eliminate toxins in packaging materials. The legislation has broad approval from New Yorkers according to public polling.

Producers with annual net revenues over $5 million and those responsible for more than two tons of annual packaging waste would be required to reduce their packaging by 10% within three years and 30% within 12 years. PRRIA sets post-consumer recycled content standards for packaging: within two years, glass packaging must contain 35% recycled material, paper bags 40%, and plastic bags 20%.

The bill’s advancement comes one week after Assemblymember Deborah Glick, Assembly sponsor of the legislation and Chair of the Assembly’s Environmental Conservation Committee, advanced it out of her committee. Harckham and Glick have been working on PRRIA for the previous two years. The bill successfully passed the Senate on the final day of session in 2024.

“This is a crucial step toward addressing the growing environmental challenges posed by waste and plastic pollution,” said Harckham. “This legislation represents the strongest Extended Producer Responsibility framework in the nation. It will reduce waste, plastics, and toxins, contributing significantly to a cleaner, more sustainable environment. While there’s still much work ahead to pass the bill through both houses, today’s progress is a critical step forward for our communities and our environment. I look forward to continuing our efforts with my colleagues and the many advocates who have championed this cause.”

“Last session, we ran out of time to pass the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act in both houses,” said Glick. “This early forward momentum of the bill is good news for the municipalities and New Yorkers who have been overburdened with the rising cost of the disposal of toxic packaging from producers. This bill has clear solutions to address the looming solid waste and plastic pollution crisis that will help achieve our climate goals while making our environment safer for all of us. PRRIA cannot be delayed any longer, municipalities deserve relief, and New Yorkers deserve a safe and clean environment.”

Judith Enck, President of Beyond Plastics said,“Nobody voted for more plastic, yet taxpayers are forced to spend hundreds of millions every year just to deal with all of the waste — and the cancer, heart disease, and respiratory and reproductive issues associated with it. We thank Senate Environmental Committee Chair Pete Harckham and Assembly Environmental Committee Chair Deborah Glick for moving their visionary bill through committee, and for bringing New York state one step closer to addressing our growing plastic pollution problem. Now we need this bill to come to the floor in both houses for a vote. Plastic polluters should be on the hook for the mess they’re making,”

Adreinne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment said, “The Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act represents a pivotal step in addressing our state’s growing solid waste crisis. For the first time, corporations will be held accountable for the waste they generate. Municipalities and taxpayers have borne the financial burden of dealing with packaging waste and non-recyclable materials for far too long. Once enacted, the PRRIA will significantly reduce packaging waste, promote more sustainable designs, and make recycling easier and less harmful. This landmark legislation will boost recycling rates, while saving local governments and taxpayers millions of dollars annually. Simply put, we could not afford to wait any longer. CCE applauds Senator Harckham and Assemblymember Glick for their exceptional leadership, and we look forward to continuing to work with them to ensure this bill’s successful passage.”

Stephen J. Acquario, Executive Director of the NYS Association of Counties (NYSAC) said, “As global commodity markets have collapsed and the costs of waste collection and processing have risen, local governments have been burdened by an outdated system overwhelmed with non-recyclable materials. This legislation will address those challenges by requiring producers to manage the end-of-life recycling of their packaging, improving recycling rates, reducing contamination, and saving taxpayers money. Moreover, by banning toxic substances like PFAS and lead in packaging, it will safeguard the health and safety of all New Yorkers. We commend Senator Harckham and Assemblymember Glick for advancing this bill through committee and urge the Senate and Assembly to pass the PRRIA before the close of the 2025 Legislative Session to provide much-needed relief to local governments and protect our environment.”

Pat McClellan, Director of Policy for the New York League of Conservation Voters said, “To achieve our goal of zero waste, New York State must adopt policies to create a circular economy that prioritizes recycled and recyclable materials and incentivizes the use of less packaging in the first place, and that is exactly what the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act does. We applaud Senator Harckham and Assemblymember Glick for the commitment to zero waste and for advancing this measure out of committee, and we now urge the full Senate and Assembly to swiftly take up the legislation.”

Alexandra Grose, Senior Policy Counsel at Consumer Reports said, “Currently, consumers are subsidizing the collection, recycling, and disposal of an ever growing stream of plastic packaging through municipal taxes. This bill would shift the financial burden from taxpayers to large companies that are producing this plastic packaging in the first place. These companies should be responsible for improving our overburdened recycling systems. The bill also encourages manufacturers to eliminate known toxic chemicals in packaging, resulting in fewer health hazards introduced into our food and environment. We will continue to support Senator Harckham and Assemblymember Glick as they work to pass this legislation which will improve the health of New Yorkers and hold plastic producers accountable.”