BILL NUMBER:A11121
TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in
relation to developing a cigarette butts recycling program
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: To require a program for the collection
and recycling of cigarette butts.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: Section 27-1019 of the environmental
conservation law is renumbered section 27-1021 and a new section 27-1019
is added to direct the commissioner, in consultation with the commis-
sioner of health to develop and implement a program for the collection
and recycling of cigarette butts, including a deposit and refund value
for each individual cigarette of not less than a penny each. A fiscal
plan must be established allocating how deposited funds are collected
and refunded. A statewide system for redemption must be established as
well as a public education and marketing campaign to educate the public
as to the harm cigarette butts cause to the environment.
JUSTIFICATION: According to sources there are over 176,000,000 pounds of
discarded cigarette butts in the United States each year. Cigarette
filters are composed of a bundle of 12,000 plastic like cellulose
acetate fibers. Each cigarette butt can take up to 10 years to biode-
grade. There are many ways to recycle cigarette butts. By creating a
program for the collection and recycling of cigarette butts we can
create new industries and jobs and while saving millions in cleaning and
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
11121
I N A S S E M B L Y
May 18, 2010
___________
Introduced by M. of A. DenDEKKER -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Environmental Conservation
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
developing a cigarette butts recycling program
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 27-1019 of the environmental conservation law is
renumbered section 27-1021 and a new section 27-1019 is added to read as
follows:
S 27-1019. CIGARETTE BUTT RECYCLING AND WASTE CONTROL.
1. THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH
SHALL DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM FOR THE COLLECTION AND RECYCLING
OF CIGARETTE BUTTS.
2. SUCH PROGRAM SHALL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
A. ESTABLISHING A STATEWIDE SYSTEM AND REDEMPTION FACILITIES FOR THE
COLLECTION OF USED CIGARETTE BUTTS VIA AUTOMATED OR NON-AUTOMATED RECY-
CLING EQUIPMENT TO BE SITUATED LOCALLY, BUT NOT LESS THAN ONE FACILITY
PER COUNTY;
B. ESTABLISHING A DEPOSIT AND REFUND VALUE FOR INDIVIDUAL CIGARETTE
BUTTS RETURNED TO COLLECTION FACILITIES OF NOT LESS THAN ONE CENT PER
CIGARETTE BUTT RETURNED AND ESTABLISH A FISCAL PLAN ALLOCATING HOW
DEPOSIT FUNDS ARE COLLECTED AND REFUNDED; AND
C. ESTABLISHING A PUBLIC EDUCATION AND MARKETING CAMPAIGN TO EDUCATE
INDIVIDUALS AS TO THE HARM CIGARETTE BUTTS CAUSE TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND
WORKING WITH CIGARETTE MANUFACTURERS TO IMPLEMENT ANTI-LITTER MESSAGES
ON THEIR PACKAGING.
3. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO PROMULGATE ANY RULES
AND REGULATIONS NECESSARY FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PROGRAM.
4. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION "CIGARETTE BUTT" OR "USED CIGA-
RETTE BUTT" SHALL MEAN ANY CIGARETTE, CIGAR, OR TOBACCO PRODUCT WITH A
FILTER OR BUTT THAT IS NOT SMOKED AND HAS THE POSSIBILITY OF BECOMING A
WASTE PRODUCT.
S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD17304-01-0
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