REPORT: Follow the Money: The David vs. Goliath Battle to Pass the New York Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act (A1749, S1464)
OCTOBER 2025 | BEYOND PLASTICS
Reducing plastic waste in New York has turned into a David vs. Goliath fight in Albany.
On one side: communities, environmental advocates, local governments, and public health organizations fighting to reduce toxic plastic packaging, save taxpayer dollars, and hold corporations accountable.
On the other: some of the world’s biggest corporations — Amazon, ExxonMobil, McDonald’s, Shell, Coca-Cola, and their allies — pouring millions into lobbying campaigns to protect the status quo of more waste, more pollution, and more taxpayer costs.
Beyond Plastics’ report reveals just how outmatched New Yorkers are when it comes to lobbying power:
The Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act was the first and second most lobbied bill (S1464 / A1749) during the final two months of the state legislative session.
In the first half of 2025, 106 businesses lobbied against the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (PRRIA), compared to just 24 groups supporting it — a 4-to-1 advantage for industry opponents.
Many of New York’s top-paid lobbying firms were hired to fight the bill, while only one appeared on the side of environmental and public health advocates.
Lobbyists spent heavily to block legislation that polls show three-quarters of New Yorkers support, across party lines and across every region of the state.
Despite overwhelming public support, PRRIA — which would cut single-use packaging waste by 30%, phase out some of the most toxic chemicals and materials in packaging, and shift costs off taxpayers and onto corporations — has repeatedly stalled in the New York state Assembly after passing the Senate two years in a row.
This is more than a policy fight. It’s a fight for New Yorkers’ health, tax dollars, and environment. And with every lawmaker up for re-election in 2026, the battle is only heating up.
Why This Matters
Plastic pollution harms every community in New York — but especially low-income neighborhoods and communities of color, where waste transfer stations, landfills, and incinerators are disproportionately located. Taxpayers are footing the bill for disposal, while corporations reap profits. The Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act is designed to flip this system, putting responsibility back where it belongs: on the companies that create the waste.
Correction: The initial version of this report incorrectly listed One Home Brands Inc. (OBA Blueland) as opposed to the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act. The report and its data have been revised to correctly include One Home Brands (OBA Blueland) as lobbying in support of PRRIA.
GET THE REPORT & OTHER KEY DOCUMENTS
COVERAGE
The Cool Down | Coca-Cola under fire for controversial stance on proposed law: 'A classic story of power politics' | 12/1/2025
Albany Times Union | Packaging bill faced massive lobbying effort, report shows | 10/8/2025
Finger Lakes 1 | New York packaging bill buried under corporate opposition | 10/8/2025
Hell Gate | Big Box Companies Are Killing NY’s Environmental Efforts With Cash | 10/8/2025
Packaging Gateway | New York packaging bill faces 4-to-1 opposition | 10/8/2025
WNYC | A New Report Details David Vs. Goliath Battle | 10/7/2025
Rochester First | Enck talks corporate lobbying against Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act | 10/7/2025
Capitol Confidential | Supporters of the packaging reduction bill that failed on the last day of session were outnumbered 4-to-1, a new report shows | 10/7/2025
Spectrum News | Advocates say their report on EPR lobbying shows classic Albany dysfunction, while business group says opposition is stiff for a reason | 10/7/2025
Politico - New York Playbook | PACK IT UP | 10/7/2025
News 10 ABC (WTEN) | Report: Corporations outspent environmentalists lobbying for New York anti-plastics law | 10/7/2025
TAKE ACTION
Urge your New York State Legislators to co-sponsor and prioritize passage of the Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act this legislative session. Fill out the form below to email your State Senator and Assemblymember about PRRIA now. If you have any issues with the form below, please click here to participate.
SHARE THE REPORT AND CHECKLIST
We’ve put together a simple sharing toolkit to make it easy to spread the word about the report and checklist. The toolkit includes graphics, sample text for sharing it on social media, a sample outreach email, and an easy to print out black and white two-page handout that includes the checklist that you can leave with restaurants in your area.
GET THE TOOLKIT >>
NEWS RELEASE
title and subhead to come
READ THE FULL RELEASE >>
QUESTIONS OR IDEAS?
We welcome your feedback, questions, and ideas. You can email us at beyondplastics@bennington.edu.