Lawmakers tried again today to shift the responsibility for handling plastic waste to the companies that produce it.
The Packaging Product Stewardship Act seeks to put the onus on plastic manufacturers for collection, recycling and disposal of any waste.
But the bill has seen major pushback and was even taken out of consideration last month so lawmakers could gather and implement feedback.
Senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan listened in to the Senate Environment and Energy Committee, where the bill was considered today to hear from those who would be impacted most.
This is the ninth time that this bill has been posted for a hearing.
And a standing room only crowd jammed that hearing to hear the ninth debate over a controversial bill that would make companies selling products in New Jersey slash plastic packaging by half over the next decade.
Opponents claimed that a drive up costs for consumers.
But supporters pointed to plastics, damaging the environment with bottles, containers and food packaging and microplastics invading human bodies.
It's been found in blood, kidneys, lungs, placenta, breast, milk, testicles, heart arteries, microplastics attach to plaque.
And according to the New England Journal of Medicine increases the chances of stroke, heart attack and premature deaths.
Former EPA official Judith thanks.
At a study shows we have seven grams of microplastics in our brains about the size of a plastic spoon and that microplastic pollution is increasing rapidly.
We cannot recycle our way out of the plastics crisis.
The percentage of plastics recycling is not just, you know, in the below minority, it's 6%, right?
So we are clearly failing on plastics recycling.
And there's a very good reason for that.
And that's most plastics cannot be recycled.
And what that means is that our environment, our bodies are literally swimming in plastic.
The much debated, often amended packaging Product Stewardship Act mandates Companies cut plastic packaging by 50% over the next ten years, prohibits toxic chemicals in packaging, including lead, mercury and PFA.
The so-called forever chemicals provide new revenue for local governments to promote recycling and prohibits chemical recycling by manufacturers as a substitute.
Speaking on behalf of many of the other industries that are that are here today that are impacted, unfortunately find this bill to be extremely unworkable.
It's not it's not realistic and attainable in a lot of provisions.
Lobbyist for food and packaging industries questioned the 50% goal and worried that reducing plastics could possibly impair food safety by compromising the packaging.
They warned the Senate Environment Committee.
The legislation will will absolutely increase the cost of packaging and consumer goods.
Unfortunately, the manufacturers, owners of products and packaging are not able to absorb all of the additional costs.
So at least some of those costs will have to be passed on to the consumers.
But supporters noted public polls show overwhelming support for reducing plastics pollution and when it came time to vote.
Nice try.
Where's the charm?
Democrats outvoted Republicans 3 to 2 to release the bill.
So this is not about a theoretical green goal.
This is about your life and safety.
It's about your health.
It's about cancers of various kinds.
We've got to get plastics out of the environment.
Senator Bob Smith sponsored the bill and labored hard to get it through his committee.
He gathered with supporters wielding plastic spoons as props.
After the vote, Democrat John McKeon, who voted yes, talked about his new granddaughter.
And I don't want to see this in her brain.
Neither do any of you.
And so the mission that we're all on together couldn't be more important than that is the health and safety of those that we love the most.
The measure will head over to the assembly to face even more hearings.
I'm Brenda Flanagan, NJ.
Spotlight News.