As state legislatures get into full swing, bills are being introduced and hearings are moving along. Here's a roundup of the latest activities.
Action to regulate the use of degradable additives in plastic bottles in North Carolina continues. The NC Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR) recently issued the report required by the legislation that passed last summer with NAPCOR's support. The NC House is now working to draft a bill based on the report's recommendations. NAPCOR members who support this action should reach out to their legislators and let them know this is a priority for our industry.
In Maryland, a coalition of environmental and business interests is supporting a new approach to container deposits in its new Bottle Bill. The bill will have a hearing in the House Environmental Matters Committee on March 8 at 1 pm. While some are enthusiastic about this bill's prospects, skeptics have raised concerns.
A new poll released in Iowa found that a majority of state residents supports the existing bottle bill and would favor its expansion to include non-carbonated beverages. The support is consistent across party lines, genders and age groups.
A bottle bill has also been proposed in Texas. Advocates have released a study documenting the economic impact of the proposed bill.
Under the guise of addressing marine debris issues, an EPR for Packaging bill has been introduced in Rhode Island. Meanwhile, the state senate committee convened to study this issue met twice in January. Testimony and presentations from those meetings are available here. Advocates in California are taking a similar approach and have introduced a bill signaling their intent to pursue EPR for plastic packaging.
Also in California, Senate Bill 529 would require disposable food service packaging to be recyclable or compostable. To qualify as recyclable, packaging would have to be taken back by the serving facility for recycling and be acceptable in collection programs that serve at least 75 percent of the households in the jurisdiction where it is distributed. Formally called the Plastic and Marine Pollution Reduction, Recycling, and Composting Act, the bill was introduced just a few days ago; we'll keep an eye on it and report any developments.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's State of the City address included an announcement of his intention to put forward a ban on polystyrene foam food packaging and the phasing out of PS foam trays in school lunch programs. The decision to proceed with this policy action was driven by the economics of the recycling program. Once materials hit the recovery facility, it costs a lot to separate PS foam from more easily recycled plastics -- as much as $20 per ton of recyclables processed. The city stands to save millions of dollars if it simply removes polystyrene foam from the waste stream.
To be notified when bills of interest are introduced, or otherwise follow developments in any of these states, contact NAPCOR Director of Public Policy Resa Dimino.
