New York Passes Law to Cut Plastic Packaging by 30%

New York Passes Bill to Reduce Plastic Packaging by 30%

June 2, 2025

The New York Senate passed the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, enforced for tackling plastic pollution. The law mainly aims to shift the financial burden to the manufacturers instead of the taxpayers. The lawmakers said that the bill could save around USD 1.3 billion for the taxpayers in ten years, also improving pollution concerns by prioritizing public health. The bill will also witness several changes that will ban 17 toxic materials and make the producer cover the waste costs, which will help in cutting plastic packaging by 30%.

The bill was approved by a 33-25 vote margin that will help the legislature enact on reduce plastic packaging, by taking major steps like creating a new oversight body for the same. The bill is now being moved to the state assembly for further consideration before the end of the legislative session in June. The council mandated a reduction in packaging over 12 years, intending to eliminate packaging waste by nearly a third.

The packaging materials, like glass, metal, plastic, paper, and cardboard, are intended to achieve a 75% recycling rate with progress tracking through short-term benchmarks. Additionally, the new bill also aims to prohibit the use of several chemicals found in packaging, like lead, mercury, polyvinyl chloride, PFAS, and others.

Reigning Organizational Support

A total of 300-plus businesses and organizations like Environmental Advocates NY, the League of Women Voters. NYPRIG and many more have endorsed the legislation. The new bill towards reducing is also backed by more than 30 municipalities, as they issued formal resolutions supporting the law. These supporters are also pointing towards the growing environmental risks associated with plastic pollution. There are also many scientific studies covering the widespread presence of microplastics in natural ecosystems and human bodies. The Human body is also at risk, as recent reports are being linked to heart attack, premature death, and strokes.