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Cuomo wants to expand bottle redemption and institute plastic bag ban aross New York

Posted 1/15/19

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo says a bottle bill expansion and a plastic bag ban will be included in the 2019 Executive Budget. Cuomo will put forward a bill to make most non-alcoholic drink containers …

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Cuomo wants to expand bottle redemption and institute plastic bag ban aross New York

Posted

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo says a bottle bill expansion and a plastic bag ban will be included in the 2019 Executive Budget.

Cuomo will put forward a bill to make most non-alcoholic drink containers eligible for 5 cent redemption.

He also has in mind a ban on all single-use plastic bags.

The aim is to reduce litter and greenhouse gas emissions.

"While the federal government is taking our environmental progress backwards and selling out our communities to polluters and oil companies, in New York we are moving forward with the nation's strongest environmental policies and doing everything in our power to protect our natural resources for future generations," Cuomo said.

Bottle Bill Expansion

Since the Solid Waste Management Act 30 years ago, New York recycling laws have helped reduce waste in communities across the state. Under the act, local municipalities adopted local recycling laws requiring source separation of recyclables, which have diverted more than 320 million tons of recyclables from disposal, reducing 1 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide in the process by decreasing methane emissions from landfills and reducing energy and fossil fuel use associated with the production of plastics and glass.

The new bottle proposal will make most non-alcoholic beverage containers eligible for five cent redemption, including those for sports drinks, energy drinks, fruit and vegetable beverages and ready-to-drink teas and coffee.

There will be some exceptions for dairy milk, milk substitutes, infant formula, syrups and flavorings, medical prescriptions and dietary supplements. This proposal will also help reduce sorting and financial burdens on local government recycling programs. The bill, not yet introduced, will already have amendments to it to address implementation issues, respond to feedback from stakeholders, and larger penalties.

Cuomo will also direct DEC to conduct a study, in consultation with industry participants and retailers, on how the bottle bill could be further expanded to include wine and liquor bottles.

Plastic Bag Ban

New Yorkers use billions of plastic bags annually, which do not biodegrade, creating massive amounts of litter in neighborhoods and waterways and posing a threat to the health of New Yorkers and the environment.

A New York State Plastic Bag Task Force has developed recommendations included in a bill last year to prohibit businesses from providing plastic carryout bags to customers.

To address the impacts of single-use plastic bags and provide a financial incentive to reduce waste, Cuomo proposes a statewide plastic bag prohibition.

This ban will help reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with plastic bag production and disposal, from petroleum used to produce the bags to emissions from the transportation of bags to landfills.