A new environmental report finds updating the state’s bottle bill could generate up to $100 million for New York’s environmental programs.
The New York Public Interest Research Group - a non-profit advocating for modernizing the law - contends Governor Kathy Hochul’s $252 billion budget proposal falls short on efforts to reduce packaging waste and address filling landfills.
New York-PIRG is calling on the state to expand the bottle bill to cover wine, spirits, hard cider, and other non-carbonated beverages and double the deposit set in 1982, from 5 to 10 cents.
It also adds funding for redemption centers to help them remain open. State lawmakers are holding a series of hearings on the budget before a final agreement is due April 1st.