A Column from the Desk of Assemblyman Karl Brabenec (R,C-Deerpark)
As is often the case in Albany, legislation comes through that seeks to shift financial and operational burdens from entities that can handle them onto those already encumbered by red tape and rules to follow. In many cases, the end result always means the taxpayer has to cough up more dollars, whether it be in taxes alone or at the store buying goods. Another such bill has come forward this past week, as the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (A.1749/S.1464) was just passed in the state Senate and is making its way through the Assembly committee process.
Many might not be aware of what this bill does, but it essentially moves the responsibility of recycling away from private recycling companies and municipalities and places the burden of work on the producers. Producers refer to groups that package products, meaning it will primarily impact farms across the state, farms of every kind that prepare the food we enjoy, from cider to cheese to dairy products. It makes it so anyone who is packaging perishable goods has to take the responsibility to register with a packaging reduction organization and develop an internal recycling plan.
There are a number of problems this bill brings up, but the first that comes to my mind is the increase in cost for our farmers. Not only will the state’s farms now have to manage their packaging and recycling process on top of the farmwork they already do, but they will be held wholly responsible for the success or failure of the recycling initiatives on their land. It’s not just farmers that have raised their objections to this bill, though, because private recycling companies are also concerned their bottom line may be impacted as a result of having less work. Recycling companies specialize in packing recycling, so for them, farmers and me, the desire to swap responsibilities between these two distinct fields is just confusing.
Then, we arrive at the big issue for consumers, which is that there will undoubtedly be a shift of cost burden to the people buying their goods in the grocery stores. Farms already operate on slim margins of profit and giving them more regulations to follow and pay for out of pocket will likely mean they’ll have to raise the prices of their goods. At a time when affordability continues to be an issue in New York, I don’t understand why this is an issue our government is considering.
Not only is the rise in cost a risk, but such a proposal would undoubtedly kill many of the farms we rely on in this state. We already lead the nation in citizens and businesses exiting the state permanently, and yet in spite of that, Albany Democrats have failed to realize that policies like these are part of what drive people away. I will continue to monitor this bill and report updates but rest assured I don’t support this in any way.
Assemblyman Brabenec represents the 98th District, which includes the city of Port Jervis, the towns of Deerpark, Greenville, Mount Hope, Wawayanda, Minisink, Warwick, Tuxedo and portions of the towns of Monroe and Ramapo. For more information, please visit his Official Website.
