BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Efforts are underway in the state Senate to reduce plastic packaging by putting the responsibility on large corporations, but the owner of a Buffalo coffee shop says it will have a "trickle-down effect" on small businesses.
"The manufacturers, they're up at the top, they're making the decisions," Larry Stitts said. "They're gonna put a price on it then it's going to come down to us and we're gonna have to pay it."
Stitts, owner of Golden Cup Coffee on Jefferson Ave., is responding to a bill that has been going back and forth in the state legislature for at least two years. If passed, Bill S1464A would require companies with net income of more than $5 million that sell or distribute certain products to reduce packaging, make it more recyclable and reduce toxins in packaging. Similar laws already exist in Oregon, Maine, California, Minnesota and Maryland.
"It's going to affect the small businesses, and small businesses are the lifeline of our economy," Stitts said.
WATCH: State senate bill targeting plastic packaging will squeeze small businesses, owner warns
Stitts says plastics are an unavoidable part of his business. Though he understands the aim of the bill is to change that, he is concerned that the cost of alternative products will be too much to bear. He says paper products are usually more expensive than plastic.
"If this came into effect and the cost is prohibitive, I would probably have to eliminate some menu items," Stitts said.
The average New Yorker creates about 5lbs of trash each day, according to the bill. Most of it ends up in landfill, or worse, discarded plastics can end up in local waterways, with toxins seeping into the water.
The bill phases in the new rules, aiming to reduce packaging by 30% over 12 years, meaning businesses like Golden Cup Coffee may not feel the impact right away.
The bill stalled in the most recent legislative session, which ended June 5. It will not be discussed again until January 2027, at the earliest.
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