The Business Council Supports Latest EPR Bill With Workable Solutions to Post-Consumer Materials Collection
More Than 100 Groups Join The Business Council in Opposition of Initial EPR Bill
ALBANY—The Business Council of New York State Inc. on Tuesday issued a memo of support for new legislation (S.5062 (Martinez)), the “Affordable Waste Reduction Act,” which proposes an “expanded producer responsibility” program for packaging and paper products modeled on legislation adopted in Minnesota in 2024.
The joint memo stresses the organizations are committed to working with all branches of state government and other stakeholders to find an effective, workable “expanded producer responsibility” law in New York State, one that improves the state’s current efforts to divert post-consumer materials from disposal and to improve the collection and remanufacture post-consumer materials into new products.
“We believe this legislation presents a workable approach to increasing the recovery and reuse of post-consumer packaging and paper products, which will reduce disposal of this material and result in significant environmental and economic benefits to the state,” the memo states.
In particular, S.5062 avoids significant problems with other EPR proposals in New York State, which focus more on material bans, unrealistic material reduction mandates, and disregard for new material management technologies.
The Business Council also released a memo in opposition, signed by more than 100 trade associations and businesses from across New York State and the U.S, to an earlier proposal (S.1464 (Harckham)/A.1749 (Glick)). Concerns regarding this legislation include, among others, unreasonable mandatory material use reductions, unnecessary bans on commonly used materials, and unworkable timeframes for business compliance. This joint memo illustrates the widespread opposition to the bill, including no substantive changes from the 2024 proposal and significant departures from EPR programs recently adopted by other states.