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.