What's happening
This bill prohibits the disposal or incineration of hardcover books and requires municipalities to establish recovery, reuse, and recycling programs for them.
Why it matters
Creates a statewide infrastructure for hardcover book recycling and reuse. , requiring every municipality to establish programs within two years—this could increase access to free or low-cost books and promote a circular economy.
Mandates detailed record-keeping and reporting by both municipalities and recyclers. , which enables better tracking of environmental impacts and program effectiveness, and could reveal trends in book consumption and waste.
Encourages collaboration and resource-sharing among municipalities and with third parties. , potentially making it easier for smaller or under-resourced communities to comply and benefit from economies of scale.
Raises public awareness and accessibility of book recycling options. , as the state department must inventory, publicize, and coordinate these programs, possibly fostering a culture of reuse and reducing landfill waste.
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Who cares
Municipal governments
Every municipality would have to establish a hardcover book recovery, redistribution, reuse or recycling program within two years and keep records of its operations.
Department of Environmental Conservation
The department would have to inventory existing municipal programs, post program information online and notify municipalities of the disposal ban and requirements.
Hardcover book recyclers
Recyclers would have to report annually to the department the tonnage received from each municipality they contract with and where recycled books are sent.
Libraries, schools and other hardcover book owners
The bill would prohibit disposing of hardcover books as solid waste or incinerating them.
Headline styles
Recycle Hardcover Books Statewide
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to environmental conservation
- Referred to environmental conservation
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5956
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 20, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. SOLAGES -- read once and referred to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to recovery, reuse and recycling of hardcover books
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Article 27 of the environmental conservation law is amended by adding a new title 30 to read as follows:
TITLE 30
HARDCOVER BOOK RECOVERY, REUSE AND RECYCLING Section 27-3001. Definition.
27-3003. Disposal of hardcover books; prohibited.
27-3005. Department responsibilities.
27-3007. Responsibilities of municipalities.
27-3009. Hardcover book recyclers. § 27-3001. Definition.
As used in this title, "hardcover book" means a book bound in cloth, cardboard or leather. Such term shall not include paperback books. § 27-3003. Disposal of hardcover books; prohibited.
It shall be unlawful to dispose of a hardcover book as solid waste or to incinerate a hardcover book. § 27-3005. Department responsibilities.
The department shall:
1. inventory existing voluntary municipal solid waste management programs that include recovery, reuse and recycling of hardcover books and make the information derived from such inventory available to all municipalities. When municipalities establish their permanent programs, this information shall also be shared with other municipalities;
2. prominently post information about municipal hardcover book recovery, reuse, and recycling programs on its website; and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09956-01-9
A. 5956 2
3. ensure that all municipalities are notified of the hardcover book disposal prohibition and the requirements of this title. § 27-3007. Responsibilities of municipalities.
Municipalities are encouraged to establish programs to collect, redistribute, reuse and recycle unwanted books. Municipalities may contract with third party organizations or businesses for the collection, redistribution and recycling of unwanted hardcover books. Municipalities shall send all information describing the establishment and implementation of their voluntary programs to recover, redistribute, reuse or recycle hardcover books to the department.
Within two years of the effective date of this title, every municipality shall establish a program to recover, redistribute, reuse or recycle hardcover books. Municipalities may establish joint programs with other municipalities, or contract with third party organizations or businesses to recover, redistribute, reuse or recycle hardcover books. Municipalities shall send all information describing the establishment and implementation of their programs to recover, redistribute, reuse or recycle hardcover books to the department.
Municipalities shall keep records of their hardcover book recovery, reuse, redistribution and recycling programs, including tonnages of books collected, books redistributed for reuse, books recycled and the recycling companies utilized. § 27-3009. Hardcover book recyclers.
Every person or entity engaged in the recovery and recycling of hardcover books shall annually provide documentation to the department of the tonnage of hardcover books received from each municipality with which it contracts, and the persons or entities to which the recycled hardcover books are sent.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.