A Senate committee has once again delayed action on legislation aimed at reducing packaging waste. The proposed bill, known as the Packaging Product Stewardship Act or S-3398, would require producers and manufacturers of packaging products to implement plans to reduce landfill waste.
The New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA) opposes the bill, citing concerns that it is overly burdensome for businesses and impractical. NJBIA objects to setting arbitrary reduction targets and deadlines, as well as bans on certain chemicals in packaging. Business groups also oppose the bill's prohibition on advanced recycling, which they argue is essential for meeting recycling goals for plastics.
The Senate Environment and Energy Committee has held several hearings on the complex bill, with stakeholders requesting amendments. Although a substitute bill was expected to be released after a December 12 hearing, action was postponed again.
"I thought we made tremendous progress since the last meeting – sounds like we didn’t," said Senator Bob Smith, committee chair and sponsor of the legislation.
Smith noted that the "continuing saga of EPR" (Extended Producer Responsibility) will be revisited at the next committee meeting on February 10.
The legislation would mandate certain manufacturers and distributors to adopt plans to reduce solid waste from packaging and pay an annual surcharge to fund improvements in the state's recycling system.
During Monday’s hearing, industry representatives requested exemptions for business-to-business packaging transactions and some types of coatings. Concerns were also raised about achieving a 50% source reduction goal for single-use plastics within ten years, which many in the business community consider unfeasible.
