BILL NUMBER: S6371
SPONSOR: COONEY
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
advanced recycling and advanced recycling facilities
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The purpose of this bill is to authorize the operation of advanced recy-
cling facilities.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 of this bill would amend section 27-0303 of the Environmental
Conservation Law to clarify that certain definitions would exempt
advanced recycling facilities.
Section 2 of this bill would amend section 27-0701 of the Environmental
Conservation Law to define relevant terms.
Section 3 of this bill would amend section 27-0707 of the Environmental
Conservation Law to exempt advanced recycling facilities from permitting
and regulatory requirements otherwise applicable to solid waste manage-
ment facilities.
Section 4 of this bill provides that the effective date shall take
effect immediately.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Currently, tons of recoverable post-use plastics and other materials are
buried in landfills every day, thereby wasting valuable resources for
manufacturing. This bill would incentivize more recycling and would
reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills, and reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, and generate a diverse range of products, such as industrial
waxes, fuels, solvents, and plastic building blocks.
Mechanical processing sorts, washes, shreds and melts plastics into gray
pellets. These gray, mixed pellets limit the commercial demand and use
of these recycled materials. Advanced recycling, a heat based, non-in-
cinerating, recycling process for plastics, is currently considered a
solid waste processing. Advanced recycling and recovery facilities can
process post-use plastics into feedstocks for new plastics, chemicals,
fuels, and other valuable products. Other states have authorized
advanced recycling facilities that have been successfully regulated,
including in Pennsylvania and Virginia. Since the regulation of advanced
recycling in these states, new businesses have invested in those states
to administer the recycling and more businesses have incorporated recy-
cled plastics and products into their supply chain.
New York needs to take additional steps to encourage recycling and
reduce landfill waste. Companies must have an incentive or reason to
purchase recycled materials. By expanding the quality and types of recy-
cled plastics available in the state, New York will encourage businesses
to use recycled instead of new plastics and materials.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-24: S.3583 Mannion - Referred to Environmental Conservation.
2021-22: S.7891 Mannion - Referred to Environmental Conservation.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

Statutes affected:
S6371: 27-0707 environmental conservation law