BILL NUMBER: S4059
SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the environmental conservation law and the general busi-
ness law, in relation to prohibitions on single-use food service items
at restaurants and third-party food delivery services
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one amends article 27 of the environmental conservation law by
adding a new title 34.
Section two amends the general business law by adding a new section
399-tt.
Section three sets forth the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
According to the UN Environment Program, single-use plastic creates more
than eight million tons of plastic waste each year. Much of the plastic
waste is produced by takeout meals and other food service establishments
that provide single-use plastic cutlery with each meal. Plastic forks,
knives, spoons, straws, condiment packets and other items are quickly
disposed of and end up in our landfills and waterways, where they are
ingested by land and marine animals.
Plastic cutlery, typically made of a material called polypropylene, may
break down into smaller pieces over long periods of time, but never
completely biodegrade. While some plastics can be recycled, single-use
food service items are too small to be processed by recycling equipment.
By prohibiting restaurants from automatically distributing cutlery,
condiment packets and other single-use items with every meal served,
these establishments will be able to markedly reduce the amount of plas-
tic that ends up in landfills and waterways each year, creating a clean-
er and safer environment for all.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None to the State.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-2024 - S.4449-A (May) / A.3424-A (L. Rosenthal)
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect in 120 days.