STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5712
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 20, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SOLAGES -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee 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 Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Article 27 of the environmental conservation law is amended
2 by adding a new title 34 to read as follows:
3 TITLE 34
4 HARDCOVER BOOK RECOVERY, REUSE AND RECYCLING
5 Section 27-3401. Definition.
6 27-3403. Disposal of hardcover books; prohibited.
7 27-3405. Department responsibilities.
8 27-3407. Responsibilities of municipalities.
9 27-3409. Hardcover book recyclers.
10 § 27-3401. Definition.
11 As used in this title, "hardcover book" means a book bound in cloth,
12 cardboard or leather. Such term shall not include paperback books.
13 § 27-3403. Disposal of hardcover books; prohibited.
14 It shall be unlawful to dispose of a hardcover book as solid waste or
15 to incinerate a hardcover book.
16 § 27-3405. Department responsibilities.
17 The department shall:
18 1. inventory existing voluntary municipal solid waste management
19 programs that include recovery, reuse and recycling of hardcover books
20 and make the information derived from such inventory available to all
21 municipalities. When municipalities establish their permanent programs,
22 this information shall also be shared with other municipalities;
23 2. prominently post information about municipal hardcover book recov-
24 ery, reuse, and recycling programs on its website; and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09934-01-5
A. 5712 2
1 3. ensure that all municipalities are notified of the hardcover book
2 disposal prohibition and the requirements of this title.
3 § 27-3407. Responsibilities of municipalities.
4 Municipalities are encouraged to establish programs to collect, redis-
5 tribute, reuse and recycle unwanted books. Municipalities may contract
6 with third party organizations or businesses for the collection, redis-
7 tribution and recycling of unwanted hardcover books. Municipalities
8 shall send all information describing the establishment and implementa-
9 tion of their voluntary programs to recover, redistribute, reuse or
10 recycle hardcover books to the department.
11 Within two years of the effective date of this title, every munici-
12 pality shall establish a program to recover, redistribute, reuse or
13 recycle hardcover books. Municipalities may establish joint programs
14 with other municipalities, or contract with third party organizations or
15 businesses to recover, redistribute, reuse or recycle hardcover books.
16 Municipalities shall send all information describing the establishment
17 and implementation of their programs to recover, redistribute, reuse or
18 recycle hardcover books to the department.
19 Municipalities shall keep records of their hardcover book recovery,
20 reuse, redistribution and recycling programs, including tonnages of
21 books collected, books redistributed for reuse, books recycled and the
22 recycling companies utilized.
23 § 27-3409. Hardcover book recyclers.
24 Every person or entity engaged in the recovery and recycling of hard-
25 cover books shall annually provide documentation to the department of
26 the tonnage of hardcover books received from each municipality with
27 which it contracts, and the persons or entities to which the recycled
28 hardcover books are sent.
29 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
