New York State Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblymember Deborah Glick announced their sweeping amendments to the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (PRRIA), which encompass nearly 150 changes across the legislation. These revisions reflect extensive engagement with industry leaders, legislators, municipalities, advocacy organizations, and states that have already enacted packaging extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws.
鈥淭hrough a long and engaged dialogue with stakeholders, we have forged a middle ground with these amendments to our bill, and now we are working to finally gain the necessary legislative and executive approvals that will save New Yorkers millions of dollars each year while helping to protect our environment,鈥� said Harckham. 鈥淚 thank Assembly Environmental Conservation Chair Glick and all the tireless advocates for their remarkable efforts in shaping this bill and working toward its enactment.鈥�
鈥淭he goal has always been to deliver a bill that strengthens environmental and public health protections for New Yorkers while remaining workable for industry,鈥� said Glick. 鈥淔ollowing extensive engagement and national research into packaging EPR best practices, including input from industry leaders, municipalities, recyclers, materials manufacturers, and advocacy organizations, these amendments reflect meaningful, hard-fought compromises. They maintain strong protections, reduce the burden on local governments, and provide the consistency with other states needed to allow industry to comply.鈥�
Glick added, 鈥淭he underlying challenge has not changed. New York is facing a growing solid waste and pollution crisis, and the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act is a real solution that must be passed this year.鈥�
Designed to significantly reduce packaging waste and single-use plastics by requiring producers to decrease overall packaging use, PRRIA (S1464A / A1749A), enjoys broad public support among New Yorkers.聽The bill aims to improve recyclability, invest in recycling infrastructure, support municipal recycling programs, and eliminate toxic substances from packaging materials.
The amendments announced by the two legislators underscore an ongoing commitment to developing a workable, effective framework that ensures industry compliance while holding producers accountable for their role in New York鈥檚 growing solid waste crisis.
Key amendments include:
- Alignment with other states鈥擨ncorporates definitions and policy frameworks used in leading EPR states, particularly Minnesota, including updated definitions of 鈥減roducer鈥� and the use of 鈥渟ervice providers.鈥�
- Adjusted timelines鈥擡xtends and aligns compliance timelines with states such as Minnesota and California, including additional time for program implementation and compliance with recyclability and toxic substance provisions.
- Refined toxics provisions鈥擱evises the toxics section by removing five substances and eliminating the Toxic Packaging Task Force.
- Streamlined enforcement鈥擱emoves the Inspector General role and consolidates enforcement authority within the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Attorney General鈥檚 Office.
- Flexible PCR standards鈥擴pdates post-consumer recycled (PCR) content requirements to provide greater flexibility while maintaining high-quality standards that support domestic labor and industry.
- Removal of regionality material mandates鈥擡liminates regional material mandates and adopts Minnesota鈥檚 鈥渞esponsible end markets鈥� framework to maintain material quality while offering producers clearer, statewide compliance pathways.
- Improved waiver provisions鈥擲trengthens waiver language to ensure compliance with federal health and safety requirements and extends waiver durations from one year to five years.
New York鈥檚 massive stream of waste grows daily and continues to rise, posing significant environmental, public health, and fiscal challenges. Nearly all remaining in-state landfill capacity will be exhausted within the next 15 years, forcing increased reliance on waste export or incineration鈥攂oth of which carry significant environmental and economic costs. At the same time, municipalities are left to shoulder the financial burden of waste collection, sorting, and processing, all which place an increasing strain on local taxpayers.
Under PRRIA, producers with more than $5 million in annual net revenue and responsible for over two tons of annual packaging waste would be required to reduce packaging by 10% within three years and 30% within 12 years.