New York State has an opportunity to reduce packaging waste, make remaining packaging recyclable, and at the same time cut out toxic chemicals – will you help make it happen?

The Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (A5322/S4246) would require companies to cut their single-use packaging in half and redesign what’s left to make it truly recyclable, as well as to remove toxic chemicals such as PFAS, vinyl chloride, benzene, toluene, phthalates, bisphenols, lead, and other heavy metals from their packaging. It would also require companies to pay to collect, sort, and manage what’s left, providing much-needed taxpayer relief and funding for our reuse and recycling programs and infrastructure.

Call Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins to bring the Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act to the floor for a vote ASAP this spring:

  1. Call Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie’s Albany office at 518-455-3791 (if you can’t get through, try 718-654-6539) When someone picks up, use the script below:

“Hi, my name is _YOUR NAME_ and I am calling to urge Assembly Speaker Heastie to support A5322-b, the Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act ASAP this session. Passing this legislation is one of the key recommendations for meeting the goals in the state’s Climate Law and we cannot wait to act on climate. Please bring it to the floor for a vote before Earth Day.”

Thank the person for taking your call. They may ask you to verify your address, etc.

  1. Then hang up and call Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins’ Albany office at 518-455-2715 (if you can’t get through, try 518-455-2585). When someone picks up you can use this short script:

“Hi, my name is _YOUR NAME_ and I am calling to urge Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins to prioritize passing S4246-b, the Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act ASAP this session. Passing this legislation is one of the key recommendations for meeting the goals in the state’s Climate Law and we cannot afford to wait to act on climate. Please bring it to the floor for a vote before Earth Day.”

3. Tell our friends at Beyond Plastics how your calls went. They are following how calls went, if callers were able to reach their representatives – which is all important information as we work to pass this important bill.

Check out our new blog post by Clearwater’s winter intern, Paulo Araujo about the harms of single-use plastics and other ways you can help get them out of circulation!