Add Art 27 Title 34 §§27-3401 - 27-3419, amd §71-1701, En Con L
Establishes extended producer responsibility for textiles; requires a producer, either individually or cooperatively in a group or with a representative organization to submit to the department of environmental conservation a plan for the establishment of a collection program for textile covered products no later than December 31, 2026.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A6193
SPONSOR: Kelles TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
establishing extended producer responsibility for textiles
PURPOSE OF BILL:
This bill would require extended producer responsibility for the
collection, reuse, recycling, or proper disposal of textiles.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Sec. 1 - amends article 27 of the environmental conservation law by
adding a new title 34 requiring textile producers to provide for the
collection and recycling of their products.
Sec.s 2 and 3 - provide that the enforcement provisions of Title 71 of
Article 27 or the Environmental Conservation Law apply to the new Title
34.
Sec. 4 - effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is an approach that holds
manufacturers and producers responsible for the life cycle of their
products, including post-consumer disposal. EPR programs shift the
financial costs of disposing of such products from municipalities onto
the manufacturers and producers, while incentivizing the manufacturers
and producers to design products that are easier to reuse, recycle, or
dispose of safely. EPR programs help reduce the negative environmental
impacts of products and create economic benefits.
According to the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), almost
1.4 billion pounds of textiles are discarded every year in New York
State, or about 69 pounds per resident, including textiles discarded by
individuals and businesses. In the United States, discarded textiles are
one of the fastest growing waste streams, with about 81 pounds per resi-
dent nationwide. While 15% of post consumer textiles are recycled, that
means 85% of our used clothing and other textiles are ending up as waste
in landfills and incinerators. A majority of these materials could be
reused or recycled providing social, environmental, and economic bene-
fits.
See https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/100141.html, retrieved May 1,
2023.
This bill would keep textiles out of our landfills and incineration
facilities, reducing contamination of New York's land and water, and
preventing climate pollution from being released into the air. As with
other extended producer responsibility initiatives, the program required
by this bill would hold producers, who profit from the sale of these
products, responsible for the collection and reuse, recycling, and safe
disposal of textiles, while promoting good jobs and a vibrant economy
and to helping to achieve the state's goals to mitigate our contribution
to climate change and conserve resources.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
This is a new bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Minimal to the state, with the expectation that costs will be fully
covered by fees generated by the program. Localities would save money
due to reductions in municipal disposal costs.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, the amend-
ments to section 71-1701 of the environmental conservation law made by
section three of this act shall take effect on the same date and in the
same manner as section 2 of chapter 795 of the laws of 2022, takes
effect.
