ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — The controversial Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act passed the New York State Senate on Wednesday with a 33-25 vote. While proponents celebrated the bill's advance, attention now shifts to the Assembly in the face of Republican opposition.

The PRRIA, sponsored by State Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblymember Deborah Glick, would reduce packaging and make the producers and manufacturers responsible for disposal costs. It mandates a 30% reduction in overall packaging by weight over 12 years. It also aims for 75% of the remaining packaging to achieve recycling status by 2052 and would ban 17 specific toxic chemicals often found in packaging, including PFAS, lead, mercury, and polyvinyl chloride.

A report from the advocacy group Beyond Plastics, h

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