Before New York’s 2023 legislative session ends on June 8, there are two bills that deserve our legislators’ votes. The first, the “Bigger, Better, Bottle Bill” (S237/A6353) would raise deposits to 10 cents and expand eligible containers to include wine, liquor, and sports drinks. It would also increase payments to redemption centers.

The second bill, the “Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Bill” (S4246/A5322) would require companies to gradually reduce the amount of packaging they use for their products.

Plastics, in particular, are a big concern.

Only a very small percentage of plastics can be recycled at all. Over time, they break down into microplastics. These are now ubiquitous in the environment, in our food chain, and in fish, birds, and mammals, including humans, in our heart and lung tissues, and even across the placental barrier. If the recycling of plastics is not effective, reduction is our best and urgent option.

When enacted together, the two bills are projected to significantly reduce waste streams, something we all pay for either through our municipal taxes or private contracts. In addition, there would be definite environmental benefits and possible health benefits. These are goals that both parties should support.

In that spirit, I ask Assemblymembers Brian Miller and Marianne Buttenschon, and Senator Joseph A. Griffo, the legislators representing our region, for that support.

— Alan Cole, Clinton