Res. No. 206

Resolution calling on the New York State Legislature to introduce and pass legislation to end the New York State Returnable Container Act.

By Council Members Brannan, Hanif and Gennaro

                     Whereas, The New York State Returnable Container Act, also known as the "Bottle Bill", was passed in 1982 to create a cleaner and healthier New York; and

Whereas, New York is one of 10 states that currently have similar bottle bills; and

Whereas, Bottle bills create a privately-funded collection infrastructure for beverage containers by requiring distributors and retailers to collect a refundable deposit on certain beverage containers; and

Whereas, Bottle bills make producers and consumers responsible for their packaging waste as a way to incentivize recycling and disincentivizing littering of beverage containers; and

                     Whereas, New York’s Bottle Bill places a mandatory refundable $0.05 deposit on carbonated soft drink, beer and malt beverage, wine cooler, and water containers; and

Whereas, According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the Bottle Bill has decreased roadside container litter in New York by 70%; and

Whereas, According to the DEC, in 2016 the New York Bottle Bill helped to recycle 5.1 billion beverage containers-weighing more than 336,000 tons of plastic, glass and aluminum-at no cost to local governments; and

Whereas, In 2010, Delaware repealed its bottle bill by creating a plan to replace its bottle deposit program with universal recycling; and

Whereas, On January 13, 2019, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced plans to expand the state Bottle Bill to include a mandatory refundable $0.05 deposit on beverage containers for sports drinks, energy drinks, fruit and vegetable beverages and ready-to-drink teas and coffee; and

Whereas, Governor Cuomo also announced the DEC will conduct a study, in consultation with industry participants and retailers, on how the Bottle Bill could be further expanded to include wine and liquor bottles; and

Whereas, Governor Cuomo further stated the expansion of the bottle bill will reduce the sorting and financial burdens on local government recycling programs; and

Whereas, The expansion of bottle bills is often resisted by beverage companies, while some recycling businesses also worry they may lose a reliable and profitable material from their recycling stream; and

Whereas, The Bottle Bill is no longer necessary to ensure New Yorkers recycle their bottles and cans; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls on the New York State Legislature to introduce and pass legislation to end the New York State Returnable Container Act.

Session 13

NLB

LS #1264

01/12/2024

Session 12

NLB

LS# 1264

12/30/21