A Deadline Approaches on a Campaign Against Plastic Waste

Good morning. It’s Tuesday. Today we’ll learn more out about a bill that could reduce New York State’s use of plastic packaging by a whopping 50 percent. We’ll also look at why a New Jersey town decided to declare a state of emergency in the middle of the holiday weekend, and we’ll meet a legal team that is suing Elon Musk.

Credit…Mark Abramson for The New York Times

As the scheduled end of New York State’s legislative session quickly approaches on June 6, voting on a number of bills is coming down to the wire. Among those is a bill that would require companies to incorporate a “packaging reduction and recycling plan,” which could drastically reduce the number of packages wrapped in layers of plastic.

While many single-use plastic products may seem recyclable, they often are not because of the chemicals of which they are made. The flimsy thin plastic that makes up potato chip pouches, food delivery bags and juice squeezes makes them more difficult to collect and sort.

The bill would require companies that use single-use plastic packaging to find sustainable alternatives or pay a yet-to-be-determined fee, which would go toward covering the costs of municipalities’ recycling and waste disposal. New York City, officials said, could reap as much as $150 million in costs.

According to a City Hall spokeswoman, the legislation could reduce landfill waste by six million pounds a day and would also save taxpayers money. The bill has widespread support.