In the next week, New York legislators face immense pressure to pass the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, or PRRIA. The legislation, New York’s Extended Producer Responsibility, or EPR, aims to shift recycling costs from consumers to manufacturers. The law, if passed, would impact almost every industry and consumer product on our store shelves and delivered to our homes. Unlike legislation in other states, such as Oregon, New York’s proposal would limit recycling technologies to just one — mechanical. It would eliminate advanced recycling, thereby increasing demand for recycled content while eliminating the supply of many recycled plastics currently used, which will raise prices.
The goal of the bill is to drastically reduce plastic packaging, forcing companies to absorb higher costs, but let’s be realistic. If it costs your favorite food brand more to purchase packaging, that cost ultimately shows up at the register. Higher costs are driven by switching to more expensive materials, redesigning packaging and introducing new production lines. If companies do not meet these standards, they will be fined. While we all agree that plastic waste should be reduced, this proposal falls short. Plastics are affordable, durable and help protect consumer safety by preventing leakage, while being lightweight and having a lower carbon footprint than glass or metal. Plastic is the preferred material for hygienic packaging, clothing, home medical supplies, food and most everyday goods.
Most of the plastic packaging we use today is not easily substituted. Alternative materials underperform, leading to greater spoilage and shorter shelf life. For instance, how many more loaves of bread will families have to buy each week if they now come in paper? How many will end up in dumpsters when they become stale after a day? Milk and applesauce in glass jars raises the packaging costs by an average of 500%, meaning that a family of four would pay more than $300 a year more for just these two products. Diapers in paper packaging would cost $72 a year more for one infant. Yet, the packaging for these items can be recycled with advanced technology. Furthermore, companies that do not invest in packaging redesigns will stop selling items in New York state so consumers have less choices. As producers exit the market, competition will decrease, further driving up prices.
Working NY families don’t need more costs
We are in an economy where working families are losing purchasing power due to inflation. This legislation will have a disproportionate impact on low-income households. Families utilizing SNAP buy 20% more prepackaged foods. More than 80% of basics like cereal, ready meals, dairy, beans, frozen foods, meat and fish use flexible plastic packaging that can only be recycled and reproduced with advanced technology. Additionally, reducing packaging can be dangerous. Switching from plastic to fiber-based packaging increases the risk of allergen contact because these alternatives are porous. Shelf life is also significantly reduced, as many plastic packages are designed with protective barriers, UV-deterrents, and layers that prevent product decay.
Advanced recycling allows us to avoid many of these problems. Critics cite concerns that advanced recycling processes continue our reliance on fossil fuels. However, even sustainable bioplastics are recycled through advanced processes.
SystemIQ released a report showing that a system combining mechanical and advanced recycling is the most effective. Advanced recycling covers a range of scientific processes. Some turn materials, such as fleece or a pair of glasses, into brand new products, known as material-to-material. To support reducing virgin plastic production and achieving the highest recycling rates, New York needs to embrace material-to-material advanced recycling.
The environmental benefits are substantial. For PET plastics, we can reduce landfill waste by 50%, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60%, and increase recycling rates to 70%. Embracing this nationwide would mean infrastructure investment and job creation. The U.S. recycling industry would grow by $4.6 billion and add 46,000 new jobs by 2040. Diverting plastic waste from landfills, waterways, and our communities improves our environment and health.
New York can do better on solving recycling costs
As currently written, New York’s proposal regulates technology instead of negative outcomes. This short-sighted approach will stifle innovation, discourage recycling research and development in New York State, and hurt consumers. EPR can work, but this bill needs changes to succeed. We will always rely on plastics for food safety, medical materials, personal care and more. Technology to solve the plastic waste crisis is here. Public policy should encourage innovation, provide a consistent way to measure results and modernize our waste infrastructure.
New York has the opportunity to demonstrate that EPR can be a catalyst for innovation without taking food off the table.
Cameron Miller is an associate professor at Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management and faculty fellow at the Institute for an Entrepreneurial Society. His research includes platforms and ecosystems, technology strategy, innovation, competitive strategy, evolutionary economics and applied econometrics.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NY families can’t afford to pay more for plastic products | Opinion
Reporting by Cameron Miller, Special to the USA TODAY Network / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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