ICYMI: Albany Times Union Tells Lawmakers to Pass the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act

ALBANY, NY (03/19/2026) (readMedia)-- This morning, the Albany Times Union published an editorial urging Albany lawmakers to pass the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act this year (PRRIA - S1464 Harckham/A1749 Glick). In addition to plastic's negative impacts on the climate and environment, the editorial board acknowledged plastic's harms to our health, writing:

"The chemicals found in various plastics have also been linked to a host of health problems. Microplastic contaminants have permeated nearly every human organ, including the lungs, brain, heart, testicles and placenta. A study published in The Lancet last fall calculated that plastics' health effects are responsible for worldwide economic losses of $1.5 trillion per year, with the effects falling "disproportionately upon low-income and at-risk populations."

The Board also acknowledged the David v. Goliath fight for the legislation:

"The bill's opponents sunk $9.8 million into lobbying, according to state filings; its supporters spent $1.5 million. Anti-pollution nonprofits are not going to win the spending race against big corporations and trade groups like ExxonMobil and the American Chemistry Council. So it's up to lawmakers to give David a fair chance to make his case."

Also this week, Netflix released a new documentary about plastic and human fertility, "The Plastic Detox." Beyond Plastics urges journalists to watch the film.

Read the full editorial here and below.

Pass the Packaging Reduction Act

Editorial: A lot of money was spent last year to scuttle the legislation; this year, lawmakers should seize the chance to act for the good of public health and the environment.

By Times Union Editorial Board,Opinion

March 19, 2026

Plastic is cheap, familiar and convenient. But after we drink our bottled water or free our disposable razors from their nearly impenetrable clamshell, what then?

Don't worry, we were told for decades; recycling will take care of it.

So we've continued to produce and consume plastic even as it became clear that its recyclability was largely a myth, and that plastics manufacturers knew it.

Don't get us wrong: Plastic has important applications. In sterile medical devices, for example, and in vehicles to make them lighter and more fuel-efficient. But we're producing too much of it, and it's killing us. That's why we've got to cut it back where we can.

The Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act would push larger companies to rethink the way they package some of their products, particularly with plastic, and make them more responsible for what happens to that waste down the line. The legislation went down in a David-vs.-Goliath battle last year: It was the most-lobbied issue in the final months of the 2025 session, with opponents outspending advocates by millions.

This year, David's back for another round. We're rooting for him for the sake of our health, our communities and the planet.

Plastics are a significant contributor to global warming; most are made from fossil fuels, after all. The United Nations calculated that in 2019, its production cycle - the extraction of the petrochemicals used to create it, along with its transportation, manufacturing and disposal - accounted for 3.4% of all emissions worldwide.

The chemicals found in various plastics have also been linked to a host of health problems. Microplastic contaminants have permeated nearly every human organ, including the lungs, brain, heart, testicles and placenta. A study published in The Lancet last fall calculated that plastics' health effects are responsible for worldwide economic losses of $1.5 trillion per year, with the effects falling "disproportionately upon low-income and at-risk populations."

Very, very little plastic is recycled. Because of the variety of chemical compositions, we can't just throw it all in a vat and melt it. It needs careful (and costly) sorting first. And because plastic typically can't be recycled more than once, it's far cheaper for manufacturers to just produce new.

Dealing with plastic waste is expensive for municipalities, too. China stopped buying other countries' recyclables in 2018, tanking the market. For most U.S. communities, that means recycling is a money-losing enterprise. The bulk of plastic waste ends up in landfills, shortening their lifespan – another cost communities have to bear.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation says plastics account for 14% of New York's solid waste stream. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, plastics comprised 18.5% of all municipal solid waste sent to landfills nationwide in 2018 - 27 million tons. And production has only increased since then.

The most meaningful way to reduce plastic's impacts is to use less of it. The Packaging Reduction Act is a means to that end.

The act would give larger companies 12 years to reduce by 30% the amount of packaging they use. Companies would be charged fees depending on the kind of packaging they continue to use, with the revenue channeled to municipal recycling programs.

The measure passed the Senate last year, but Democratic leadership in the Assembly chose not to bring it to the floor. Although its supporters said they had the votes to pass it, Speaker Carl Heastie insisted they didn't. His spokesman accused its boosters of "lazy advocacy" and told them to "put in the work" to build support.

The dollar signs behind the effort don't say "lazy" as much as "outspent": The bill's opponents sunk $9.8 million into lobbying, according to state filings; its supporters spent $1.5 million. Anti-pollution nonprofits are not going to win the spending race against big corporations and trade groups like ExxonMobil and the American Chemistry Council. So it's up to lawmakers to give David a fair chance to make his case.

A 12-year ramp to a 30% reduction isn't pulling the rug out from under anyone. No one is suggesting eliminating all plastic, or even all plastic packaging. But we're drowning in the stuff, and lawmakers have a chance to turn the tide. Let's use New York's economic clout to encourage innovation. Our communities' physical, ecological and financial health will be the better for it.