efforts to reduce plastic waste & Pollution

Read up on Zero Waste Capital District's most recent (Aug 2022) letter to the NYS Office of Cannabis Management, recommending no single-use plastic packaging and a deposit on batteries and vape pens. ZWCD's previous letter to the Office of Cannabis Management can be found here. 

As a means of reducing plastic pollution, ZWCD supports the styrofoam/polystyrene ban in NYS. 

ZWCD is also currently advocating for expanding NYS' bottle return policy to include a wider range of containers and to increase the redemption value from 5¢ to 10¢. 

ZWCD's Comments on the NYSDEC Draft Solid Waste Management Plan (5/4/2023).

Efforts to protect public health

ZWCD has a Resolution to End the Use of Sewage Sludge in compost and as a soil amendment or fertilizer due to ubiquitous PFAs (forever chemical) contamination. 

In the news

Malaysia bans imports of Plastic Waste  (New York Times)

By Hiroko Tabuchi and Zunaira Saieed July 1, 2025. In the shadow of President Trump’s tariff fights, a different kind of trade war is playing out involving candy wrappers and plastic bottles. On Tuesday, Malaysia, which received more discarded plastic from rich nations than any other developing country last year, effectively banned all shipments of plastic waste from the United States. That might not seem like a big deal. But the United States has increasingly relied on countries like Malaysia to deal with plastic trash. American scrap brokers sent more than 35,000 tons of plastic waste to Malaysia last year, according to trade data analyzed by the Basel Action Network, a nonprofit group that tracks plastic waste issues. Last year, after seizing more than 100 shipping containers of hazardous materials sent from Los Angeles that had been improperly labeled as raw materials, the Malaysian environment minister, Nik Nazmi, told reporters that “we do not want Malaysia to be the world’s rubbish bin.” The country’s Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. 

Those interested in learning more or supporting Zero Waste Capital District's policy advocacy should attend our general meetings and inquire about our Public Policy Committee.