Chemical recycling bills are unfortunately back in NY. Help Surfrider Foundation's New York chapters stop these legislations which would promote the burning of plastic waste in New York.
Bills S3583 and A4744 seek to exempt “chemical” or “advanced” recycling facilities from New York waste management regulations, effectively reducing environmental safeguards for the burning of plastic waste in our state. Most of these facilities are actually plastic-to-fuel operations that heat plastic waste to create low-quality diesel fuels or synthetic gas (“syngas”), which is then burned.
These facilities are often located in underserved and BIPOC communities, placing additional health and safety risks on those residents.
Most people are now aware of the plastic pollution crisis, where plastic particles have been found in water, air, soil, and even human bodies. However, false solutions such as bills S3583 and A4744 will simply exchange landfills for air pollution, incentivize petrochemical expansion, and create more plastic waste. For more information check out this
blog post.
Take action
here and send a message to your elected officials to oppose plastics burning in NY!