With an eye on the environment and the creatures that share the planet with us, Assemblyman William Colton (D—Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach and Dyker Heights) has introduced legislation that, if enacted, would require the plastic bottle caps on all plastic bottles sold or distributed in New York State to be affixed to the bottles they are used to close, to diminish their prevalence among litter on beaches and other public areas.

The bill (A9354) would give large manufacturers three years to come into compliance, while smaller manufacturers would have six years to comply. The non-profit group Ocean Conservancy says that requiring that the bottle caps be tethered or otherwise attached to the bottles they come from increases the likelihood that they will be recycled, reducing the scourge of environmental pollution. The European Union has already successfully implemented the policy, mandating that plastic bottle caps be tethered to plastic bottles in 2024.

According to Ocean Conservancy, plastic bottle caps – which, if separated from the bottle, often cannot be recycled -- currently rank among the top ten items found on beaches. But, they are not only unsightly. The group says that the bottle caps are among the most dangerous forms of litter that end up in the ocean, because they can be mistaken for food and ingested by a variety of wildlife, including seabirds, sea turtles and marine mammals, harming and possibly killing them.

Animals that ingest the bottle caps can choke; the bottle caps can also cause internal injuries and intestinal blockages, leading to death. The plastic from which they are made is also harmful – studies suggest that the toxic chemicals the bottle caps contain can have a deleterious effect on the reproductive health and immune systems of animals that ingest them, as well as those animals’ vital organs.

According to a marine policy paper issued in 2016 by Ocean Conservancy, “Studies have shown that plastics can concentrate chemicals in the environment and concentrations in some species (e.g. seabirds) are correlated with plastic in the animal's guts. This work has been confirmed by carefully controlled laboratory studies where fitness effects (including the formation of pre-cancer cells) from ingestion of plastics have been demonstrated.” 

“I have for decades been a fierce protector of the environment, advocating and legislating for clean air to breathe and clean water to drink, because I know how important it is to preserve the world we live in, for us and for the animals that call Earth home,” said Assemblyman Colton. “We are stewards of this planet, and we must do all we can to minimize our impact upon it, not only to prevent current harm but so that future generations can continue to live comfortably on Earth. This bill is another small but significant step in that direction.”