REDUCING PLASTICS
Troy council unanimously passes Plastic Free Hudson River Act
TROY, N.Y. » The Troy City Council unanimously passed the Plastic Free Hudson River Act at Thursday night’s council meeting.
The legislation introduced by Councilman David Bissember goes toward making the Collar City a leader in reducing singleuse plastics.
“I am proud to have sponsored the Plastic Free Hudson River Act and that it passed with unanimous, bipartisan support,” Bissember said.
“This legislation will work to reduce plastics in our waste stream as well as the associated environmental and economic costs to Troy residents,” added Bissember. “I am especially grateful for the work of the local community group, Troy Zero Waste, on this issue and to the overwhelming number of residents who spoke in favor of the bill [Thursday] night.
“Its passage reflects the importance of grassroots and community- driven policy. I am hopeful that
the mayor will sign this into law and look forward to the continued work of educating residents, business owners, and other stakeholders as we prepare for its implementation.”
Former EPA Regional Administrator Judith Enck was also complementary of the legislation.
“I applaud The Troy City Council for unanimously passing the Plasticfree Hudson River legislation which is a model for other communities across the nation. This policy will make Troy cleaner and reduce the use of plastics. We can’t solve the climate change crisis without reducing plastic production,” Enck said.
“The council was presented last night with a set of petitions with 1,429 signatures in support of this bill. This outpouring of community support was incredibly inspiring and helped ensure that it passed unanimously,” Council President Pro-Tempore Anasha Cummings said.
“I want to thank everyone who helped carry this important law over the finish line, and hope they will all be part of making sure that Troy businesses are rewarded for their leadership on this issue,” Cummings added.
Troy City Council President Carmella Mantello lauded the goals, but remained wary of its potential impact on local businesses.
“The goal of this legislation is aspirational. However, our city’s ability to enforce this is questionable, and the impact on local businesses is something we should also be concerned with,” she said. “That’s why I proposed an amendment to review the law’s impact on a quarterly basis.
“Unfortunately, the Democratic majority voted my amendment down. Having supported numerous environmental initiatives, and also having led the Hudson River Valley Greenway and Canal System, it’s important to me that we do more to take plastics and Styrofoam out of the waste stream. I think we can have better success if we do so in partnership with our businesses and the county whose assistance in enforcing something like this is critical.”
The new ordinance will aim to combat the environmental impacts of the city’s waste, by eliminating polystyrene foam food serviceware, reducing the use of plastic straws, and supporting the state’s ban on plastic bags by opting into a fivecent fee on paper bags.
Provisions of the Plastic Free Hudson River Act include:
Polystyrene foam single-use serviceware ban:
• Prohibits the sale of single-use polystyrene foam food serviceware and its use by food service establishments and covered stores.
• This provision does not preclude the sale or use of recyclable plastic or paper food service ware which are comparable in price.
• The bill also allows for food service establishments and covered stores with two or less locations to apply with the city of Troy for a one-year non-renewable exemption to this provision.
• The city of Troy will provide those food establishments and covered stores that receive a oneyear nonrenewable waiver with signage disclosing that waiver.
Plastic straws upon request only:
• Requires that plastic straws at food service establishments to be “upon request” by customers and establishes that the city of Troy will provide guidance on signage for stores to let customers know they may ask for straws.
• Language was developed in concert with and agreed on by members of the Independent Living Center that use straws as assistive devices, per the recommendation of the Disability Rights Advocates.
• There would be no additional costs to establishments, and this provision may result in some savings as establishment may use less straws. Once more, it does not require establishments to use any alternative straw materials or replace their plastic straws should they have them.
• In addition, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation provides grants (with a 50% reimbursement rate) under the Municipal Waste Reduction and Recycling program that includes costs related to publications, education and outreach tools, advertising, and promotional items.
Paper bag carryout fee:
• This provision opts into a 5- cent fee on paper bags under the New York State law which bans carry- out plastic bags beginning in March of 2020.
• Paper bags also have an environmental impact and this fee is meant to discourage simply shifting from plastic to paper bags and to move towards the further use of reusable bags.
• Further requires that stores provide recyclable paper bags which have less environmental impact and cost to municipalities.
• Per the underlying state law, sixty percent of the fee goes back into New York State’s Environmental Protection Fund for related programs, and forty percent stays with the city of Troy for the specific purpose of providing reusable bags to the community.
• Residents who rely on food assistance programs like WIC and SNAP will be exempt from the fee.
The legislation will go to Troy Mayor Patrick Madden’s desk for signage, as the mayor had this to say of the bill.
“Plastic bags and polystyrene have done significant damage to our natural environment – clogging rivers and waterways, cluttering our streets, and filling landfills rapidly reaching capacity,” he said. “The phased elimination of these non-biodegradable materials from our waste stream is a major step forward for a more sustainable future for Troy while advancing the objectives contained within our Comprehensive Recycling Program (Solid Waste Plan).
“I commend Councilmember Bissember, City Recycling Coordinator Renee Powell, the Solid Waste Advisory Board, and local advocates and organizations like Troy Zero Waste for their work on this important issue to better protect our environment.”