This bill has three crucial features:
Meaningful Waste Reduction Targets
The legislation centers strong waste reduction targets and recognizes the often overlooked costs of plastic packaging. Unlike glass, steel, and aluminum, plastic is simply not designed to be recycled. Reduction targets will help achieve important environmental, economic, and social benefits, while relieving the pressure on municipal curbside recycling programs that struggle to keep up with the volume of waste – the majority of which is plastic containers and packaging. The bill recognizes a sharp decline in packaging waste is needed by calling for:
- 50% reduction of packaging materials within 12 years with incremental milestones.
- 75% recycling rate of the remaining packaging waste by 2050 also achieved incrementally, with separate criteria for non-plastic and plastic packaging,…