Opinion: Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act would be a burden on working families and small businesses
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A bill requiring companies selling packaging materials to register with a packaging reduction organization to develop a recycling plan would impose an undue financial burden on small businesses and working families, Eduardo Giraldo argues in this op-ed. Photo by Travis Wise/Flickr
By Eduardo Giraldo
As a business leader in Queens and an advocate for small businesses, I fully support responsible environmental stewardship. We all want cleaner streets, less waste, and a more sustainable future.
However, the "Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act" (S.146/A.1749) is a well-intentioned but deeply flawed approach that threatens to impose an unbearable financial burden on working-class families and the small businesses that drive New York’s economy.
If passed in its current form, this legislation could raise costs by more than $600 per household annually — an unacceptable price tag for many of our most vulnerable residents.
New York is already one of the most expensive states to live in, and our communities, especially in places like Jackson Heights, are struggling with inflation, housing affordability, and the lingering economic impact of the pandemic. Adding hundreds of dollars in new costs per family is simply unsustainable.
This bill, as written, fails to strike the necessary balance between environmental responsibility and economic viability.
We all agree that producers must share in the costs of recycling, but the framework of this bill will disproportionately harm small businesses and low-income families. These are the same hardworking individuals who are already navigating skyrocketing costs for food, rent, and essential goods. The increased costs imposed on manufacturers and producers by this bill will inevitably be passed down to consumers in the form of higher prices.
Small businesses — many of which are owned by immigrants and minorities — operate on razor-thin margins. They cannot afford additional regulatory costs that threaten their survival. If this bill becomes law without a more thoughtful, balanced approach, we risk pushing many of these businesses to the brink, costing jobs and damaging our local economy.
We must find a way forward that promotes environmental sustainability while also leveraging the latest innovations in waste reduction and recycling technology. Advanced recycling solutions, public-private partnerships, and consumer education initiatives must be part of the solution.
Rather than placing an undue financial strain on families and small businesses, the state should focus on modernizing our recycling infrastructure with smart, cost-effective investments that meet people where they are. Expanding access to better recycling programs, incentivizing sustainable packaging innovation, and fostering collaboration between businesses, government, and consumers can lead to meaningful progress without excessive costs.
New York cannot afford a one-size-fits-all policy that ignores the realities of working-class neighborhoods and small business owners. Lawmakers should take a step back and work with business leaders, community advocates, and experts in recycling technology to craft a more pragmatic, inclusive, and economically sustainable solution.
We need policies that reduce waste and increase recycling without punishing those who can least afford it.
The goals of this bill are commendable, but the current approach is flawed.
I urge our elected officials to consider the financial impact on New Yorkers and take the time to get this right. Sustainable progress must go hand in hand with economic fairness.
We can protect our environment without jeopardizing the livelihoods of hardworking families and small business owners.
Eduardo Giraldo is the president of Abetx International Brokers, Inc., which is located in Jackson Heights, and the president of the Queens Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
