New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced that a bottle bill expansion and a plastic bag ban will be included in the 2019 state executive budget. Cuomo says he is advancing legislation to expand New York's Bottle Bill to make most non-alcoholic drink containers eligible for a 5-cent redemption in order to combat litter, help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect the environment. Additionally, Cuomo plans to advance legislation to ban all single-use plastic bags. The deadline for budget approval by New York's state legislature is April 1.
"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 says in a written press release. "These bold actions to ban plastic bags and promote recycling will reduce litter in our communities, protect our water and create a cleaner and greener New York for all."
Since Governor Mario M. Cuomo enacted 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 that required source separation of recyclables. According to the press release, the act has helped divert 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 use associated with plastics and glass production.
To take the next step forward in reducing litter and protecting the environment, Cuomo says he plans to expand the Bottle Bill to make most beverage containers eligible for 5 cent redemption, including those for sports drinks, energy drinks, fruit and vegetable beverages and ready-to-drink teas and coffee. The Bottle Bill expansion will include some exceptions for bottles containing dairy milk, milk substitutes, infant formula, syrups and flavorings, medical prescriptions and dietary supplements. The proposal will also help reduce sorting and financial burdens on local government recycling programs. Additionally, the governor will include amendments to the Bottle Bill legislation to enhance penalties, address implementation issues and respond to feedback from stakeholders.
The governor will also direct the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (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.
To address the environmental impacts of single-use plastic bags and provide a financial incentive to reduce waste, Cuomo has also proposed a statewide plastic bag prohibition. The press release says DEC will work with stakeholders and community leaders to ensure the roll-out of this initiative does not disproportionately impact low- and moderate-income households and environmental justice communities through the distribution of reusable bags and exemptions where appropriate.
In March of 2017, Cuomo created the New York State Plastic Bag Task Force to develop a comprehensive statewide solution to address pollution caused by plastic bags. Following the task force recommendations, the governor introduced a program bill last year to prohibit businesses from providing plastic carryout bags to customers.
"Promoting recycling, reducing waste, and helping end the blight of plastic bags littering our environment are top priorities. Thanks to Governor Cuomo's leadership, proposals to ban plastic bags and expand the bottle bill will bolster New York's ongoing efforts to improve recycling markets and reduce contamination in the waste stream,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos says in the written release. These actions will also help municipalities and retailers respond to global changes in the recycling industry. We will continue to explore additional ways to protect our environment."
Three New York-based environmental groups—Citizens Campaign for the Environment, the Natural Resources Defense Council and Riverkeeper—administered a joint statement following Cuomo's announcement.
“This is the beginning of the end for the scourge of plastic bag pollution in New York. However, experience shows that a fee on paper bags must accompany the proposed ban on plastic bags to avoid a serious increase in paper waste and pollution," the statement says. “As for bottle bill reform, the governor’s proposal is well-intended and deserves serious consideration. We understand the benefits but want to be sure this approach will not harm municipal recycling programs around the state.”