As Plastic Polluters Mislead the Public, Lawmakers and Advocates Correct the Record on Costs and Chemical Recycling
This morning, advocates and lawmakers held a news conference to debunk the plastic, big oil, and petrochemical industries’ misleading claims about the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act.
Environmental Justice Groups Tell Albany to Protect Their Communities by Reducing Plastic
Nineteen environmental justice groups sent a leader to Albany legislators urging them to bring the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (S1464A Harckham/A1749A Glick) to a vote before session ends. The letter points to the many communities of color in New York that experience higher rates of illness and lower life expectancies because of plastic pollution.
Beyond Plastics Tracked Starbucks’ ‘Widely Recyclable’ Plastic Cups. None Ended Up at a Recycling Facility.
A three-month national investigation by Beyond Plastics found that not a single tracked Starbucks cold-beverage cup ended up at a recycling facility — even when the cups were placed in clearly marked recycling bins inside Starbucks stores.
New York City Leaders Call for State Legislators to Pass the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act
Today, New York City Sanitation Commissioner Gregory Anderson held a news conference with New York City Council Sanitation Chair Justin Sanchez, New York State Senators Brian Kavanagh and Erik Bottcher, New York State Assemblymember Grace Lee, and advocates with the NAACP New York State Conference, Beyond Plastics, and the Natural Resources Defense Council.
As Governor Hochul Guts Climate Law, 250+ Rally with State Lawmakers: End Plastic Pollution Now
More than 250 grassroots volunteers joined with state legislators and New Yorkers directly impacted by plastic pollution at a rally to urge the New York state legislature to pass the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (PRRIA - S1464A Harckham/A1749A Glick).
300+ Rally With State Lawmakers and Environmental Justice Advocates: End Plastic Pollution Now
February is Black History Month, and today, more than 250 grassroots advocates joined state legislators in calling out the environmental injustices posed by landfills and incinerators in communities of color. They gathered at a news conference at the state Capitol and urged the New York state Assembly to pass the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (PRRIA - S1464 Harckham/A1749 Glick).
Heastie Wants to Protect the Environment — Pass the Plastic Reduction Act NOW
During his opening remarks of the 2026 legislative session, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie expressed strong commitment to protecting the environment and curbing climate change. Luckily, the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (PRRIA - A1749 Glick/S1464 Harckham) is already on the Assembly floor and will do just that — and save money for municipalities and taxpayers.
Follow the Money: New Report Reveals David vs. Goliath Battle Over New York’s Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act
A new report from Beyond Plastics reveals that in 2025, over 100 businesses — including Amazon, McDonald’s, ExxonMobil, and Coca-Cola — lobbied to block the New York Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (S1464 / A1749), outnumbering supporters’ lobbyists by a margin of 4 to 1. Titled “Follow the Money: The David vs. Goliath Battle to Pass the New York Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act," the report found that 107 registered businesses lobbied to defeat the packaging-reduction bill, and only 23 registered organizations lobbied to pass it.
Environmentalists and Community Leaders from Across New York Rally in Albany Calling on the State Assembly to Pass Packaging Reduction Act
New York environmentalists and community leaders from across the state rallied outside the state Capital building in Albany on Saturday, September 13 in support of the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (Assembly Bill 1749). The bill passed the New York state Senate the last two years but has not yet been brought to the New York state Assembly floor for a vote.
Two Years in a Row, New York State Assembly Fails to Pass Widely Popular Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act
For the second year in a row, the Democratic supermajority- controlled New York State Assembly failed to vote on the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (A1749 Glick) despite having enough votes to pass. Judith Enck, Beyond Plastics president and former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regional administrator, issued the following statement.
Legislation to Curb Plastic Pollution and Save Taxpayers Money Passes Senate Environmental Conservation Committee
Today, the New York State Senate’s Environmental Conservation Committee passed the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (S1464 Harckham / A1749 Glick) after the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee passed the bill last week. Judith Enck, president of Beyond Plastics and former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regional administrator, issued the following statement in response.
New Version of a 1990 Packaging Waste Report Shows the Problem Has Only Persisted 35 Years Later
Beyond Plastics, NYPIRG Show Side-by-Side Comparisons of Findings of 1990 ‘Plagued By Packaging’ Report and 2025 in Call for New York State to Pass Packaging Reduction Bill
Legislation to Curb Plastic Pollution and Save Taxpayers Money Passes Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee
The Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (A5322B Glick / S4246B Harckham) passed through the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee today by a vote of 22-8.
As Plastics Industry Boasts About Their Political Access in Albany, Taxpayers Get to Foot the Bill for Their Plastic Pollution
Yesterday, after 250 New Yorkers traveled to Albany and rallied at the Capitol against plastic pollution, Plastics Industry Association president and CEO Matt Seaholm shared a picture with New York Governor Kathy Hochul from a ritzy reception
New Siena Poll: 58% of Voters Wanted Legislature to Pass Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act
After Governor Hochul abruptly canceled congestion pricing, which impacted the final days of the New York State legislative session, the New York State Assembly went home without passing the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, despite the bill passing in the senate on June 7th, and reports that the bill was set to pass in the assembly. Now, a new Siena Poll shows that 58% to 31% of New York voters think the legislature should have passed the bill.
Fight Continues for Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act in Albany
Senate Passed Legislation, But Assembly Ran Out of Time to Bring It to the Floor
Senate Passes Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, Advocates Call on Assembly for Floor Vote TODAY
The Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act Reduces Single-Use Plastic Packaging by 30%, Bans 17 of the Most Toxic Chemicals in Packaging, Saves Taxpayers Millions, and Knocks Out Polluting Chemical Recycling
23 Westchester Elected Officials Urge Senator Stewart-Cousins to Reduce Plastic Packaging by 50%
Westchester elected officials and organizations emphasize positive local financial, environmental, and health impacts of reducing single-use plastic packaging by 50%
100 Environmental Justice Communities Across USA Write to Speaker Heastie and Senator Stewart Cousins to Reduce Plastic Packaging by 50% and Protect Their Health
From Appalachia to Louisiana to Texas, leaders of frontline environmental justice communities harmed by plastic pollution sent a letter to Speaker Heastie and Leader Stewart-Cousins urging them to pass the strongest Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act possible, with national impact