The Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act: Costly & Confusing

Column from Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay

 As is often the case with proposed legislation in New York, bills are poorly planned, ignore input from stakeholders and ultimately increase costs for businesses. That’s exactly what would happen under the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act. While the intent of this bill may be to reduce waste, it is deeply flawed in both design and execution. Despite about two years’ worth of inquiries, neither the sponsors nor anyone else who supports this bill has been able to confirm how much this program is going to cost businesses and residents.

This legislation would levy new fees on companies based on their packaging, driving up product costs, placing a heavier burden on both businesses and consumers and removing products off shelves altogether. And that’s not just my opinion—many businesses share these concerns.  A more costly New York is the last thing we need. With residents already facing some of the highest taxes and fees in the country, now isn’t the time to pile on more. Rather, we should find ways to lessen the financial burden, help businesses prosper and address the alarming trend of people leaving our state.

Stakeholders have also highlighted the bill’s unrealistic compliance timeline, vague definitions of who qualifies as a “producer” and steep civil penalties tied to violations of this complex proposal. Furthermore, the financial impact is expected to be significant, but the exact numbers are unclear—this is not only short-sighted but fiscally irresponsible. While the legislation claims that all program expenses will be covered by producer payments, it offers little clarity on how those costs will be calculated or assessed.

We all want clean air, clean water and less waste. However, to achieve these goals, we must take an approach that is both realistic and affordable. It is worth noting that New York already has some of the most restrictive environmental protection policies in the nation, from overly ambitious climate laws to banning single-use plastic bags to investing in unstable, unreliable renewable energy infrastructure.

Moving forward with a bill of this scale, without a full understanding of the financial burden it will place on both the public and private sector, is simply not responsible governance. We have a duty to the people of New York to approach policymaking with greater care and prudence. We owe it to our constituents to pursue smarter, more transparent solutions that balance progress with responsibility.

If you have any questions or comments on this or any other state issue, or if you would like to be added to my mailing list or receive my newsletter, please contact my office. My office can be reached by mail at 19 Canalview Mall, Fulton, NY 13069 and by email at [email protected]. You may also find me, Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay, on Facebook or Twitter at @WillABarclay.

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