Hold manufacturers—not taxpayers—responsible for their waste!
New York State is suffering from a solid waste and recycling crisis—recycling costs for municipalities and taxpayers have skyrocketed, recycling rates have declined, and our environment and health are suffering from pollution caused by excessive plastic packaging. Currently, corporate brand owners bear no responsibility in managing the product packaging waste they have created.
A proposed policy known as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) would require product manufacturers—not taxpayers—to be responsible for the cost of collecting and recycling the packaging and printed paper they create. A strong EPR policy will help:
Reduce waste: EPR incentivizes producers to produce less packaging in the first place!
Increase recycling: New York’s recycling rate is approximately 18%, while countries that have adopted an EPR policy have rates over 70%.
Eliminate toxic chemicals: Prohibit the harmful “forever chemical” PFAS and other toxic chemicals often used in packaging.
Reduce plastic pollution in our waterways: Lake Erie is polluted with 381 metric tons of plastic while Long Island Sound has an estimated 165 million plastic particles floating in the water at any given time.
Save taxpayers money: Local governments (outside of NYC) pay $80 million annually to keep recycling programs going.
Fight climate change: EPR can lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by over 2.3 million metric tons — the equivalent of taking half a million cars off the road or reducing the state’s GHG emissions from waste by 18%
Thanks for taking action. Together we make a difference!
Sincerely,
Your friends at CCE
