EPR Legislation Not Included in Final New York State Budget Despite Governor's Support
By Megan Quinn | April 11, 2022 | Waste Dive
Dive Brief:
A plan for an extended producer responsibility program for packaging was not included in New York’s final state budget, which passed this weekend, despite Gov. Kathy Hochul spearheading the initiative by naming it a “landmark proposal” and including it in her executive budget.
Hochul first signaled her strong intent to enact EPR for packaging during her State of the State address in January. In the report, she called for New York to require “producers, not taxpayers, to cover the cost of recycling.” The EPR policy faced pushback from the Assembly and numerous groups who opposed the level of producer control in the plan or the method of writing the policy into the budget instead of pursuing it through legislation.
Some supporters are now turning their efforts toward EPR bill S.1185C from state Sen. Todd Kaminsky, which Hochul used as a base for the EPR policy in the budget. Others say a forthcoming EPR bill from Assembly member Steve Englebright could propose a more comprehensive approach by also including language to reduce packaging and set minimum recycling standards.