Legislative Committee

For more than two decades, the New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse, and Recycling (NYSAR3) -- and its members from the public and private sectors -- have played a leadership role in establishing environmental initiatives to reduce waste and increase recycling. This effort includes advancing legislation on the state level that promotes public and environmental health while shaping the sustainable materials management economy of the future. 

All are welcome to join our Legislative Committee efforts.

For information and to join, contact Bodhi Piedmont-Fleischmann, Legislative Committee Chair.

 

Contact your Representatives

Use draft letters from NYSAR3 to contact your State Senators and Assemblymembers and advocate for legislation related to waste and recycling.

Contact your Representatives

 

2026 Legislative Priorities for NYSAR3

NYSAR3 SUPPORTS Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging and Paper Products:

NYSAR3 supports Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging and paper, requiring brand owners and manufacturers to finance the recycling of materials they produce. EPR programs engage producers in the end-of-life management of products and encourage circularity by reducing the amount of packaging and paper used in product production, redesigning to be more readily recyclable, incorporating post-consumer content, and leveraging market forces to maximize material recovery. NYSAR3’s support is driven by the need to protect and reinvigorate recycling programs through financial support to the
system, particularly municipalities and recycling facility operators.

NYSAR3 SUPPORTS Improvements to the Returnable Container Act (Bottle Bill) Redemption Funding Mechanism and Other Improvements to the Act: 

Beverage container collection through the provisions of the Bottle Bill provides a segregated, marketable, clean source of recyclable materials. To increase the support to redemption centers that manage and implement the Bottle Bill program, NYSAR3 supports an increase in the handling fee paid to redemption centers to five or six cents (5¢ - 6¢). Please see our Legislative Overview document for our position on other improvements to the Bottle Bill.

NYSAR3 SUPPORTS Extended Producer Responsibility for Mattresses:

According to the Product Stewardship Institute (PSI), Americans send more than 50,000 mattresses to landfill each day and less than 5% are recycled. Refurbishing instead of landfilling mattresses reduces energy and greenhouse gas emissions – and up to 90% of mattress components are recyclable. This proposed legislation would establish extended producer responsibility for mattresses, requiring mattress producers to establish a plan for the convenient and cost-effective recycling of used mattresses. Since the implementation of EPR programs for mattresses in Connecticut, California, and Rhode Island, more than 12 million mattresses have been recycled and more than 450 million pounds of material – steel, foam, cotton, and wood – have been diverted from disposal.

For the FY 2027 State Budget, NYSAR3 SUPPORTS Dedicated Funding for Organics Management Infrastructure, Reuse Grant Programs, and the Center for Sustainable Materials Management:

We support allocation of specific line items and dedicated funding to provide consistent, reliable funding
for these important initiatives.

  • NYSAR3 calls for, at a minimum, a restoration of the $5 million level of funding realized in the FY 2026 budget in the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) dedicated to the “Food Waste Reduction” line item of NYS DEC Capital Projects.

Ultimately we continue to support a total of $10 million for this vital line item which supports grants for capital projects that establish or expand food scrap composting programs and facilities, and food donation programs managed by municipalities or non-profits. This funding also opens opportunities to provide financial support to markets for compost products. Increased capital funding for composting and food rescue throughout NYS, beyond the valuable increase realized during the last budget, is crucial to ensure the infrastructure exists to meet the requirements of the newly expanded Food Scraps Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Law, as well as the goals set by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).

 

  • NYSAR3 also supports an allocation in the EPF dedicated to NYS DEC grants for research, education, and capital projects that establish or expand reuse and repair programs and facilities managed by municipalities or non-profits. These reuse efforts also include deconstruction and material reuse in the construction and demolition industry.

 

  • Further, NYSAR3 supports establishment of a line item within the EPF for funding of the Center for Sustainable Materials Management (CSMM). CSMM is a vital partner in advancing New York’s circular future. Their innovative research, collaborative approach, and direct support—through funding, educational resources, and technical assistance—empower New Yorkers, municipalities, businesses, and government agencies alike to take meaningful action on waste reduction and reuse.