This bill requires the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to engage a qualified consultant through a competitive bidding process to perform a Statewide Recycling Needs Assessment. This assessment will analyze the current state of recycling, composting, and packaging reuse, identifying existing gaps, costs, and needs. To support this initiative, the bill allocates $500,000 from the General Fund to the DEP, with the final assessment due to the Governor and Legislature by June 1, 2027, and a draft version to the newly formed Statewide Recycling Needs Assessment Advisory Council by December 31, 2026.

Additionally, the bill establishes the Statewide Recycling Needs Assessment Advisory Council within the DEP, composed of members appointed by the DEP commissioner to ensure diverse stakeholder representation. The council will provide guidance on the needs assessment, review packaging legislation from other states, and recommend a producer responsibility program for packaging. The council will be dissolved 30 days after submitting the final assessment, with the overall goal of improving recycling efforts and infrastructure in New Jersey to achieve optimal recycling rates by 2035.