NY Legislators Take Aim At Reducing Plastic Waste

[TTL News 308]

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When New Yorkers toss something into the recycling bin, the expectation is that the item will be turned into something else. But it turns out that’s actually pretty rare when it comes to plastic.

Most plastic ultimately winds up in landfills — even if it initially was sorted for recycling.

“There's very little plastic that can be recycled,” said Manhattan Assemblymember Deborah Glick. Glick is the lead Assembly sponsor for a bill gaining momentum in New York’s state legislature. It would require companies to pay to manage their waste and reduce their plastic packaging production.

It’s one of the major bills pending in the legislature that takes aim at curbing New York’s plastic production and consumption amid growing concerns over the environmental and health effects of plastic waste.

The legislation, called the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, places more requirements and government oversight onto companies that produce plastic waste. It also would require producers to reduce their plastic packaging by 50% within 12 years.

 

Read more here.

[Chris 2,162]

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A 2022 report from Greenpeace and analyzed by NPR, found that less than 6% of plastic in the U.S. is recycled.

Remember when they said it would be better for the environment because we can use it over and over and over?

[Ann 264]

I remember paper bags (trees are renewal) and glass bottles (also reusable).  But the big this was go green to save the planet, plastic is better.