EPR

SPEAKER HEASTIE THWARTS ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS, AGAIN

Major legislation to reduce plastic pollution, save taxpayer dollars, and protect public health from dangerous PFAS chemicals die in the Assembly, again

For immediate release: Wednesday, June 18, 2025

For more information, contact:

Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, aesposito@citizenscampaign.org, 516-390-7150

Brian Smith, Associate Executive Director, bsmith@citizenscampaign.org,716-472-4078

Albany, NY—The New York State Assembly wrapped up their 2025 legislative session late last night, with Speaker Carl Heastie failing to allow major environmental bills the opportunity for a floor vote. After passing in the NYS Senate for the second year in a row, the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (A.1749) and a Ban on PFAS in Household Products (A.7738) both died in the Assembly without a vote.

In response to the Assembly inaction, Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director for Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE), issued the following statement:

“Tragically, once again, Speaker Heastie failed to allow votes on critical environmental legislation, despite having strong support from the public and from within the legislature. We had the votes to pass both bills in the Assembly, what we lack is the political will from its leadership. When it comes to transformative environmental legislation, time and time again, Speaker Heastie has shown that he will crumble in the face of industry pressure.

The time to act on the state’s solid waste and PFAS “forever chemical” crises is yesterday. The longer we wait, the worse the problems will get, and the more expensive the solutions will become. Our environment, health, and economy will needlessly suffer due to this inaction.  Excessive plastic waste will continue to pollute our communities and overwhelm municipal budgets. Toxic PFAS chemicals will continue to contaminate our drinking water, requiring more communities to install expensive drinking water treatment technology.

At a time when the federal government is abdicating its responsibility to protect public health and the environment, New York State’s leadership is needed more than ever. Regrettably, Speaker Heastie’s inaction is failing to meet the moment.  New York is not only failing to lead, it is falling behind several other states that have already passed similar legislation.

We are grateful to Assemblymember Glick’s steadfast advocacy and unwavering commitment to advancing these bills in the Assembly.  We look forward to working with Assemblywoman Glick, along with our champion in the Senate, Senator Pete Harckham, to advance these critical issues in the future.”

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Adrienne Esposito: Companies that produce packing waste must recycle it

Adrienne Esposito: Companies that produce packing waste must recycle it

Consumers have changed our shopping habits across New York state. The transition to online shopping has significantly increased plastic, paper and cardboard packaging waste. Those materials go to Reworld, which takes our trash, and are turned into ash. The ash needs to go somewhere, but where?

STATE SENATOR HARCKHAM: “WE ARE DROWNING IN GARBAGE” AND PLASTICS

STATE SENATOR HARCKHAM: “WE ARE DROWNING IN GARBAGE” AND PLASTICS

Assemblymember Glick and Senator Harckham at the PRRIA press conference in March 2025

We are drowning in garbage. Previous solutions like landfills and incinerators are insufficient and awful for public and environmental health. We need to get smarter about how we deal with our packaging & plastic waste. This bill promotes innovation & saves taxpayers over $1B.

Environmental, Civic and Faith-Based Groups, Legislators Call for Packaging Reduction

Environmental, Civic and Faith-Based Groups, Legislators Call for Packaging Reduction

Solid waste is impacting our environment and health while costing taxpayers billions each year

Albany, NY – More than 15 different environmental, civic and faith-based groups, plus several state legislators joined New York State Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblymember Deborah Glick at the State Capitol today to call for support of the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (PRRIA). 

Senator Harckham and Assemblymember Glick's Packaging Reduction Bill Advances in Both Houses

Senator Harckham and Assemblymember Glick's Packaging Reduction Bill Advances in Both Houses

Boosts recycling, supports municipalities and reduces waste, plastic, and toxins

Albany, NY – New York State Senator Pete Harckham announced today that the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (PRRIA) has successfully advanced through the Senate’s Environmental Conservation Committee, which he chairs. 

Legislative Leaders Announce Bills to Protect New Yorkers from Exposure to Dangerous PFAS

Legislative Leaders Announce Bills to Protect New Yorkers from Exposure to Dangerous PFAS

PFAS-Free NY campaign launches 2025 legislative action agenda, website.

ALBANY, NY —  Legislators today announced the bills they are sponsoring to protect New Yorkers from exposure to PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) through everyday household items such as textiles, dental floss, cleaning products, cookware, children’s products, cosmetics, and menstrual products. The bills also aim to address PFAS in the water and air. Additionally, the PFAS-Free NY campaign announc

Sound Bites: CT needs faster adoption of EVs, state watchdog says

Sound Bites: CT needs faster adoption of EVs, state watchdog says

Connecticut has made progress to protect its land, water and air over the last decade — but struggles to control greenhouse gas emissions that worsen climate change, according to the Connecticut Council on Environmental Quality. A report from the state watchdog blames the transportation sector for the emissions increase last year. The Council recommends a faster adoption of electric vehicles, less fuel consumption, and more use of public transit. 

Long Island, New York, landfill closure extended as officials search for ash solutions

Long Island, New York, landfill closure extended as officials search for ash solutions

The Brookhaven landfill is still slated to stop accepting C&D waste by the end of this year, but may accept ash until 2027 or 2028.

Dive Brief:

  • The Brookhaven Landfill on Long Island, New York, may get two extra years of life to accept incinerator ash, newly elected Town Supervisor Dan Panico told Newsday last week. Panico is seeking an extension of the landfill’s permit that would allow it to remain open until 2027 or 2028, rather than its current permit expiration on July 11, 2026.

  • Local leaders are working to find alternative disposal capacity for incinerator ash from the Covanta-run facility in Westbury that handles much of Suffolk County’s waste. Panico also confirmed the landfill would stop accepting C&D waste — which constitutes 65% of the waste accepted at the landfill annually — by the end of the year.

  • The permit extension will buy extra time for private industry solutions to press forward. Carlson Corp., a longtime Long Island C&D and organic waste processor, has applied for federal permission to construct a rail terminal to process and ship waste off the island. Winters Bros. has also floated a proposal for a rail terminal adjacent to the Brookhaven Landfill.

Long Island Community Foundation awards $700G to empower girls, promote social justice, more

Long Island Community Foundation awards $700G to empower girls, promote social justice, more

In its year-end distribution of charitable grants, the Long Island Community Foundation announced it had given more than $700,000 to 28 groups spanning a wide range of projects, from environmental and conservation causes to the arts to youth development.

Once Again, Legislature Kicks the Can of Litter Reduction Down Trash-Filled Road

Once Again, Legislature Kicks the Can of Litter Reduction Down Trash-Filled Road

Good luck finding a single person in Rhode Island who loves the rivers of empty bottles, cans, and random plastic pieces strewn along the state’s roads and beaches. Pose a question about litter, and you will hear that people are perfectly appalled by it, and by the state’s meager recycling rates.

EPR for packaging bill fails to pass in New York before legislative deadline

EPR for packaging bill fails to pass in New York before legislative deadline

Dive Brief:

  • A high-profile EPR for packaging bill did not pass in New York before the end of the legislative session this weekend, despite last-minute updates meant to address stakeholder concerns.

Senator Harckham and Advocates Announce Bill to Reduce Packaging and Increase Recycling

For Immediate Release: February 7, 2023

New legislation will reduce plastic and paper waste, increase recycling, encourage use of recyclable materials—and save local governments money

Albany, NY – A number of important environmental and governmental advocates joined New York State Senator Pete Harckham today for an announcement of his new legislation, the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act. The legislation will revolutionize New York’s approach to solid waste and focus responsibility on the corporations that put packaging into the stream of commerce and help to relieve the burden placed on local governments, taxpayers and consumers for the management & disposal of most of New York’s solid waste.

The new bill (S.4246) will require companies with a net annual income of over $1 million to reduce consumer packaging, improve recycling efforts of their product packaging and help update recycling infrastructure. Additionally, companies will be expected to create and /     or maintain reusable and refill infrastructure, support municipal recycling programs financially and reduce the toxins in their packaging.

“We need to immediately address one of the dire problems of our age: the tremendous amount of waste, much of it recyclable, that we create each day—and that costs taxpayers and municipalities hundreds of millions of dollars in wasted carting and recycling costs,” said Harckham, chair of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee. “The only way we can begin to mitigate the growing issue of waste pollution, which threatens our natural resources, is for the initial producers of this waste to be fully involved with the end-of-life solutions. Right now, municipalities and taxpayers are footing practically all of the enormous costs of product packaging pollution and recycling, and that’s neither fair nor viable in the long run.”

To view a video of the announcement, click here.

The average New Yorker creates nearly 5 pounds of trash every day, which means our state produces approximately 15 million tons of waste each year. This waste primarily goes to landfills and incinerators, and often ends up in our water, natural habitats, and public spaces.   

The recycling rate for the entire United States was estimated to be between 5-6% in 2021. While New Yorkers understand the importance of reducing their waste, reusing what we can and recycling, our current system is not meeting our environmental demands. Local governments continue to struggle with recycling costs and infrastructure, evidenced through increased taxes or significantly limited materials that can be collected.

Harckham’s bill will require eligible producers of consumer packaging and recyclable waste to join a Producer’s Responsibility Organization (PRO) within a year of the bill’s enactment and create a plan within 18 months for submission to an advisory council to gauge compliance with the new packaging and recycling rules. Once approved, producers have six months to put their plan into action.

The bill’s timeline calls for producers to reduce their packaging by 10% of weight within three years, 20% by five years, 30% by eight years, 40% by 10 years and 50% by 12 years.

Moreover, there will be specific standards for post-consumer recycled material for packaging. Glass should be at least 35% post-consumer recycled content, paper carry out bags should be 40% and plastic bags should be 20%.

However, Harckham’s bill explicitly does not cover, among other things, newspapers and magazines, medical products and devices, and beverage containers subject to the returnable deposit under current law.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will determine the effectiveness of each producer’s education and outreach efforts regarding their packaging plan. If a plan is not approved within two years, the producer may be subject to penalties for noncompliance.

To this end, the bill will establish an Office of the Inspector General under DEC to gauge compliance. Producers in violation will be fined $100,000 a day until requirements have been implemented. The PRO will be required to submit an annual report on their packaging and recycling.

A fee system will be instituted and approved by the DEC for the PRO to calculate costs to provide curbside collection, process materials for recycling and to deal with packaging that cannot be processed or recycled.                

Unlike the  proposal in the Executive Budget, Harckham’s bill also focuses on eliminating toxic chemicals and compounds in packaging material. This bill, once enacted, will give producers two years to remove certain toxic substances—PFAs, heavy metals, formaldehyde, halogenated flame retardants and more—from their packaging. Three years after the bill’s enactment, DEC must add  another 10 or more substances to this list of proscribed toxic chemicals.

Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE), said: “It’s time for corporations to take out their own trash. Each year companies ship billions of packages, exacerbating the solid waste crisis, yet bear no responsibility for managing the waste they create. Municipalities and taxpayers should not have to shoulder the financial burden of paying for corporations’ excessive and unrecyclable packing, we need to hold corporations responsible. CCE applauds Senator Harckham for taking the lead in addressing New York’s solid waste and recycling crisis by introducing the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act.”

Bobbi Wilding, Executive Director of Clean+Healthy New York, said: “We are grateful to Senator Harckham for introducing a bill that addresses our waste problem through provisions that drive reuse infrastructure, restrict toxic chemicals, and ensure 'recycling' technologies don't serve as a proxy for burning fossil fuels with plastic as a pass-through. Making this bill law will move New York in the direction of a circular economy that protects our health and the environment.” 

Caitlin Ferrante, Conservation Program Manager, Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter, said: “Addressing the full lifecycle of packaging and paper products is an essential piece of the circular economy we want to achieve here in New York. We are grateful to Senator Harckham for introducing this comprehensive legislation and look forward to working with him and the legislature to get this bill passed this year.”

Eric A. Goldstein, New York City Environment Director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said: “This sensible and visionary legislation promises to save money for municipalities and taxpayers, remove toxic substances from packaging and incentivize producers to cut waste. Senator Peter Harckham has found just the right formula for a 21st century waste reform bill—centering waste prevention and reuse, discouraging climate-destroying single-use plastics and protecting public health.  Bravo to Senator Harckham for his leadership in advancing this sound proposal.”

Julie Tighe, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters, said: “To achieve our goal of zero waste, New York State must adopt policies to create a circular economy that prioritizes recycled and recyclable materials and incentivizes using less packaging in the first place. That is why the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act is one of NYLCV's top priorities in 2023. We applaud Senator Harckham for introducing this measure and urge the Legislature and Governor to come together to pass a bill that sets strong minimum rates for diversion, recycled content, and waste reduction, cuts toxic chemicals in packaging and makes producers responsible.”

Stephen J. Acquario, Executive Director of the New York State Association of Counties, said: “We commend Senator Harckham for introducing legislation that will require companies to take more responsibility for recycling their own packaging. The Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act will shift the burden of managing the ever-increasing boxes in our waste stream from local governments to brand owners. Not only will this legislation provide relief to local governments, but it will also incentivize producers to reduce waste and use packaging that’s safer and easier to recycle. We urge the Legislature to pass this bill to modernize New York State’s recycling system and make producers take responsibility for the end-of-life management of their products.”

Scott Cassel, CEO and Founder of the Product Stewardship Institute, said: “The bill introduced by Senator Harckham sets aggressive yet achievable goals, with strong government oversight and enforcement. It will reduce the long-time financial and management burden on governments and taxpayers and place greater responsibility on consumer brands.”

Killala Kite, Communities and Legislative Associate at Environmental Advocates NY, said: “Approaches that meaningfully address the packaging waste crisis and move New York closer towards a zero-waste future are good for our health and good for our climate. Requiring producers of packaging waste to take responsibility for the environmental impacts of their products will help ensure consistent recycling access, high participation rates, better infrastructure, and more stable markets. We are deeply grateful to Senator Harckham for his leadership and dedication to this issue.”

New York Senator Brian Kavanagh, who co-sponsors the bill, said: “Our take-make-use-dispose habits are depleting our resources, polluting our environment, exposing people to harmful toxins, imposing high costs on local governments and their constituents, and contributing to climate change that threatens the habitability of our planet. By dramatically diminishing the large portion of waste that comes from packaging and paper products, and requiring producers to take responsibility for working with suppliers, retailers, and consumers to reduce, reuse, and recycle materials, Senator Pete Harckham’s legislation would represent a huge step forward on virtually every one of our environmental priorities. I thank Senator Harckham for his leadership and I look forward to working with him and our colleagues in the legislature, Governor Kathy Hochul, and the many environmental advocates, local governments, and community leaders who are committed to getting this done.”

Pete Harckham represents the 40th Senate District, which includes the towns of Carmel, Kent, Patterson and Southeast, and the village of Brewster in Putnam County; the town of Stony Point in Rockland County; and the city of Peekskill, the towns of Bedford, Cortlandt, Lewisboro, New Castle, North Salem, Somers and Yorktown, the town / village of Mount Kisco and Ossining, and the villages of Briarcliff Manor, Buchanan and Croton-on-Hudson in Westchester County.

Making Every Day Earth Day at Citizens Campaign for the Environment

Making Every Day Earth Day at Citizens Campaign for the Environment

Adrienne Esposito

Earth Day is April 22, but ask Adrienne Esposito, executive director of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, and you may get a different answer. “For us,” she says,  “every day is Earth Day.” Esposito talked with us about the Earth, the environment, Earth Day and Long Island.

NAACP again intervenes to protest Yaphank waste transfer facility

NAACP again intervenes to protest Yaphank waste transfer facility

A truck transports waste.

A bill that would allow the Town of Brookhaven to eliminate a zoning requirement that protects open space to allow for a rail spur extension faces pushback from the New York NAACP and local chapters.

Eliminating a conservation easement would allow a proposed waste transfer station in Yaphank to connect to the freight system on the Long Island Rail Road. State NAACP officials warn that hauling away “thousands of tons of trash” by rail would disproportionately harm nearby communities of color.

Bill shifts reducing plastic and paper waste in New York to manufacturers

Bill shifts reducing plastic and paper waste in New York to manufacturers

A bill proposed in New York would put the onus on corporations to reduce the amount of plastic and paper packaging they use, and relieve the burden placed on local governments. The goal is to reduce the tons of garbage that ends up at landfills.

Steve Englebright reflects on three decades of environmental advocacy

Steve Englebright reflects on three decades of environmental advocacy

Steven Englebright spent 30 years in the State Assembly advocating for environmental causes and was one of the earliest champions of preserving the Pine Barrens. But he counts his last three years in office among the most impactful.

Hochul Pushes Changes to Carpet Bill, Igniting Bitter Debate Over ‘Chemical Recycling’

Hochul Pushes Changes to Carpet Bill, Igniting Bitter Debate Over ‘Chemical Recycling’

Some environmentalists say the amendments would allow unacceptable pollution. Others argue they’re missing the point.

GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL is seeking to rewrite sections of a carpet recycling bill in a way that critics say could open the way to controversial “chemical recycling,” leaving backers of the legislation in tense disagreement over how to respond.