The New York Capitol in Albany, where two bills concerning packaging EPR are currently in committees.| Paul Brady Photography/Shutterstock
Two bills have been introduced in New York State creating extended producer responsibility programs for printed paper and packaging.
State Senate Bill S7718 and Assembly Bill A09790 usher in the creation of EPR programs requiring producers to finance collection and recycling of curbside materials. They also mandate post-consumer content in new packaging.
The bills are not identical. For example, the Senate legislation would have recycling rate and post-consumer-content targets proposed by producers and approved by state regulators, but the Assembly bill puts an 80% collection target and 25% post-consumer-content requirement in statute books.
Both S7718 and A09790 were introduced on Feb. 11 and are currently in committees. The Product Stewardship Institute (PSI) advocacy group noted the bills’ introduction in a Feb. 12 legislative update email.
The legislation comes as Maine lawmakers consider an EPR program for printed paper and packaging. Other states, including Oregon, are also exploring the approach, although none has yet approved a packaging EPR bill. Additionally, federal legislation that implements packaging EPR was introduced this month.
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