S2919-2011 Actions

• Jan 4, 2012: REFERRED TO FINANCE
• Feb 3, 2011: REFERRED TO FINANCE

S2919-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S2919

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the state finance law, in relation to prohibiting the state
from purchasing paper products that are non-recyclable

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill will reduce the State's waste by prohibiting the purchase
and use of non-recyclable paper/mailing products, including but not
limited to goldenrod/kraft stationery and paper products.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 of the bill adds a new Section 169 to the State Finance Law
placing purchasing restrictions for nonrecyclable paper products and
defines "non-recyclable".

Section 2 sets forth the prohibition on purchase of non-recyclable
paper products and states that the State and any governmental agency
or political subdivision or public benefit corporation of the State
shall not purchase or obtain non-recyclable paper products including
but not limited to goldenrod papers, kraft stationery and other
various paper products.

JUSTIFICATION:
With over 80 State entities, New York State is a large purchaser and
user of stationery and paper products. As current statistics suggest,
only 50% of paper products are being recycled-we can and should do
much better than that. Many of the State's landfills are at or near
capacity, therefore, it is in the public's best interest for the
State to have a policy prohibiting the purchase of non-recyclable
paper/mailing/stationery products, thereby reducing the amount of
paper that ends up in landfills.

Goldenrod/kraft type envelopes are commonly used as mailing envelopes
and interagency envelopes throughout the State and these particular
paper products are not recyclable. The deep yellow dye is too
difficult to eliminate in order for them to be recycled. By
prohibiting the purchase of these particular types of envelopes and
using traditional recyclable ones, New York State will greatly reduce
the amount of waste it produces.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's Ways to
Support New York Recycles Program encourages school districts,
community organizations, local governmental entities, and businesses
to reduce the amount of waste produced, by restricting purchasing to
recyclable items. There is no reason for the State to purchase
non-recyclable items-this legislation ensures this.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2009/2010 - S.5119 - Passed Senate

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

S2919-2011 Text

 S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 
 
                                         2919
 2011-2012 Regular Sessions
 I N  SENATE
 February 3, 2011
 
 Introduced  by  Sens. STEWART-COUSINS, ADAMS, HASSELL-THOMPSON, KRUEGER,
 MONTGOMERY, OPPENHEIMER, PARKER, SERRANO --  read  twice  and  ordered
 printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
 AN  ACT  to  amend the state finance law, in relation to prohibiting the
 state from purchasing paper products that are non-recyclable
 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

Section  1.  The  state finance law is amended by adding a new section
 169 to read as follows:

 

S 169. PURCHASING RESTRICTIONS FOR NON-RECYCLABLE PAPER  PRODUCTS.  1.
 DEFINITION.  "NON-RECYCLABLE" SHALL MEAN MATERIAL THAT CANNOT BE SORTED,
 CLEANSED AND RECONSTITUTED USING AVAILABLE RECYCLING COLLECTION PROGRAMS
 FOR THE PURPOSE OF USING THE ALTERED FORM IN THE MANUFACTURE  OF  A  NEW
 PRODUCT.  RECYCLING  DOES NOT INCLUDE BURNING, INCINERATING, CONVERTING,
 OR OTHERWISE THERMALLY DESTROYING SOLID WASTE.
 2. PROHIBITION ON PURCHASE OF NON-RECYCLABLE PAPER PRODUCTS. THE STATE
 AND ANY GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY OR POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OR  PUBLIC  BENEFIT
 CORPORATION  OF  THE  STATE  SHALL NOT PURCHASE OR OBTAIN NON-RECYCLABLE
 PAPER PRODUCTS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO,  GOLDENROD  PAPERS  COATED
 WITH  A  DYE  FOUND  ON  MASKING PAPER COMMONLY USED FOR INTEROFFICE AND
 MAILING ENVELOPES, AND KRAFT  STATIONERY  AND  PAPER  PRODUCTS,  PRINTER
 PAPER,  XEROGRAPHIC  PAPER,  STATIONERY,  LETTERHEAD, NOTEPADS, BUSINESS
 CARDS OR ENVELOPES.
 

S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD04071-01-1

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