New York, along with the rest of the United States, is facing the problem of waste control. Without an effective system for garbage and it equipment disposal, enormous amounts of waste ends up in landfills and this has a huge environmental impact.
If the recent New York recycling bill becomes a successful law, the responsibility of waste control will shift from local governments to corporate producers. Packaging producers would have to pay for recycling, but also be rewarded for enhancing sustainability of these items.
If the New York recycling bill passes, this could set a standard for other states and improve the waste crisis across the country.
How New York’s waste problem affects the rest of the country
The US produces 12% of the world’s waste, making it the third largest contributor to the global waste control problem. Billions of tons of waste is sent to landfills each year, and the situation in New York is no different.
Although it’s not the country’s most waste-producing state, New York still sends garbage to landfills and IT recycling centers all over the country including South Carolina and Ohio.
Waste has also been sent to certain cities and towns to generate income, but unfortunately this causes significant environmental damage and is not a viable solution.
The state of New York needs to find a way to manage their waste problem on their own and the new recycling bill could be the first step.
How the New York recycling bill could change this
The New York recycling bill could change the way the entire country deals with waste control, if it’s successful. The way it will work is that the financial responsibility for waste control will pass from local governments to packaging companies that use materials such as plastic and paper.
In theory, if these companies are responsible for the end-of-life disposal of packaging and paper products, recycling should increase. These producers will have to pay to have these items recycled but they will also receive a reward for making them more recyclable.
These producers will have to comply with a producer responsibility plan and would be required to meet the minimum post consumer recycled material content rate and minimum recycling rate.
Hopefully, these actions will influence other states by making them aware that the burden of waste control doesn’t have to be the local government’s responsibility.
What to do if there’s a waste control problem in your area
If you live in an area where waste control affects you, you can ask for help from New York environmental lawyers. This is especially important if you believe waste has been left by a negligent company.
Waste stored in both landfills and recycling centers can cause many problems for the local environment. Toxic and hazardous materials can also result in health complications in local citizens.
