(The Center Square) — A coalition of New York businesses are warning that a plan to tighten rules for paper and package recycling will threaten jobs, disrupt regional supply chains and increase costs for the state’s consumers.
The Democratic-backed legislation, which is teed up for a vote in the state Assembly, would require New York companies to decrease their single-use plastic and paper packaging over the next several years and restrict the use of a litany of “toxic” chemicals often used in packaging.
But the group New Yorkers for Better Recycling coalition — which includes more than 100 restaurants, delis, convenience stores, pizzerias, markets and other Main Street employers — say the proposal would impose new costs and supply chain burdens on employers already struggling with inflation, rising operating expenses and economic uncertainty.
“Across New York, small business owners are united in opposition to legislation that would drive grocery prices even higher,” the coalition, which is backed by the American Beverage Association, said in a statement. “We support practical efforts to improve recycling. But we are asking our elected officials to recognize that the legislature cannot keep passing bills that raise grocery prices and make it harder for small businesses to serve their communities.”
Under the plan, companies would be required to reduce their single-use plastic packaging by 10% within three years, and by 30% after 12 years. It would also require paper bags to be made of at least 40% recycled content, within two years of the bill’s passage, while plastic trash bags would have to be 20% recycled within five years. The measure also bans 17 “toxic” chemicals found in packaging, including PFAS, lead, mercury, and polyvinyl chloride.
Companies using packaging would have to join a state-approved nonprofit that would charge yet-to-be-determined fees to reimburse cities and towns for the cost of processing solid waste and recycling.
The plan has also drawn opposition from labor organizations, including the New York State AFL-CIO, the New York State Conference of Teamsters, and the United Steelworkers, which came out against the legislation last week.
Backers of the plan, which was previously approved by the state Senate, say it will help improve the state’s recycling efforts while reducing rising solid waste costs for cities and towns.
The bill was recently amended by Assembly Democrats to soften the blow on the industry by excluding businesses with earnings of less than $5 million a year and reducing fines for violators of the proposed recycling requirements.
But the changes have done little to sway skeptical New York business groups that opposed the original proposal.
“Lawmakers say they want affordability. That starts with not adding new costs to the local businesses that people rely on for their everyday goods,” the groups wrote to lawmakers. “That only makes it harder to keep members of our community employed. And raising the price of household items only adds to the financial burdens of people who are struggling with the increased cost of living in this state.”
