Bill Text: NY K00395 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Memorializing Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim April 30-May 7, 2023, as End Plastic Pollution Week in the State of New York, in conjunction with the observance of Earth Day on April 22, 2023

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Passed) 2023-05-10 - adopted [K00395 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-K00395-Introduced.html

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Assembly Resolution No. 395

BY: M. of A. Rosenthal L

        MEMORIALIZING  Governor  Kathy  Hochul to proclaim
        April 30 - May 7, 2023,  as  End  Plastic  Pollution
        Week  in  the State of New York, in conjunction with
        the observance of Earth Day on April 22, 2023

  WHEREAS, It is the custom of  this  Legislative  Body  to  recognize
official  weeks  that  are  set  aside  to increase awareness of serious
issues that affect the lives of citizens of New York State; and

  WHEREAS, The United States is the  world's  leading  contributor  of
plastic  waste,  generating  about  287 pounds of plastic per person per
year; and

  WHEREAS, The majority of plastics are made from fossil fuels and end
up in landfills, taking hundreds of years to decompose; and

  WHEREAS, Half of  plastic  waste  comes  from  single-use  plastics,
including  straws,  but  there  are many alternative materials for these
products that can replace single-use  plastics,  such  as  paper,  sugar
cane,  and  bamboo,  as  well  as  reusable materials, such as glass and
stainless steel; and

  WHEREAS, Americans use  and  discard  over  500  million  single-use
plastic  straws a day, and even though costumers often don't use or need
a straw, many restaurants  automatically  provide  plastic  straws  when
serving water and other beverages; and

  WHEREAS,  A  New  York  teenager, Samantha Fenigstein, has started a
successful Skip the Straw  initiative  to  change  this  use-and-dispose
lifestyle  and  protect our environment by decreasing plastic straw use;
and

  WHEREAS, To date, Samantha Fenigstein  has  had  conversations  with
many local business owners in Scarsdale, New York, who have committed to
skipping  the  straw,  and  hundreds of New Yorkers have signed onto her
Skip the Straw pledge on an individual level; and

  WHEREAS, By taking the pledge, many will be encouraged to  not  only
stop  using  plastic  straws  but  also  change  their habits around the
general use of single-use disposable  plastics;  the  pledge  will  help
shift New York's reliance on single-use plastics and increase the use of
reusable products; and

  WHEREAS, Every step we can take toward reducing plastic waste has an
impact  on  environmental  health and the effects of climate change; the
more people who can commit to avoiding  single-use  plastics,  the  less
plastic waste New York will have in its landfills; and

  WHEREAS,  Earth  Day  is  an important time for people to reflect on
their habits and take environmental action, such as  pledging  to  avoid
single-use plastics; and

  WHEREAS,  It  is  imperative that there be greater awareness of this
serious environmental issue, and more must be done to increase  activity
at the local, State and National levels; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim April 30 - May 7, 2023, as
End Plastic Pollution Week in the State of New York, in conjunction with
the observance of Earth Day on April 22, 2023; and be it further

  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted  to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York.