Featuring environmental advocates and legislative organizers, the People Over Plastic Climate Action Party addressed the defeat of New York’s Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (PREA) and the ongoing fight to eliminate toxic “forever chemicals” from consumer products statewide.

We learned from Alexis Goldsmith, National Organizing Director for Beyond Plastics and a principal organizer on the New York Is Not Disposable Campaign, along with campaign partner Judith, and Ella McGrail from Save the Sound. Together, they delivered a frank update on PREA’s defeat this session due to industry lobbying and made the case for why two PFAS bills (A7738A and A2054B) that had already passed the Senate remained urgent priorities before the close of session.

Participants also took action during the event using the CAN App, an advocacy tool that allows people to contact political and business leaders in just a few clicks. Throughout the event, attendees called their own Assembly members, Speaker Carl Heastie, their own senators, and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, urging them to pass the two PFAS bills before session’s end. The group surpassed 300 actions by the end of the hour!

Watch a recording of the conversation (1 hour) or read a quick recap.

Recording

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Quick Recap

Disclaimer: This is an auto-generated meeting summary from Zoom, offering a high-level overview of the discussion. Please note that it may not capture all details with perfect accuracy.

The People Over Plastic Climate Action Party brought together environmental advocates and legislative organizers to respond to the defeat of New York’s Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (PREA) and push for action on two critical PFAS bills before the close of session. Organizers from the New York Is Not Disposable Campaign delivered a frank account of how industry lobbying killed PREA despite strong grassroots support and an estimated 80 potential yes votes, while making clear that the fight is far from over. The discussion highlighted two PFAS bills — A7738A and A2054B — that had already passed the Senate and remained within reach of Assembly approval, with advocates from Save the Sound explaining the urgent need to ban these harmful forever chemicals from consumer products and personal care items. Participants took real-time action using the CAN App, calling their Assembly members, Speaker Carl Heastie, and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins to urge passage of the PFAS bills before session’s end — surpassing 300 actions by the end of the hour.

Summary

Climate Action Now Action App

Amber Ledbury, Outreach Coordinator at Climate Action Now, welcomed attendees and introduced the event format, demonstrating the CAN App and explaining how participants could call their representatives directly through the app. Kaylee Beam, Director of Content at Climate Action Now, guided attendees through accessing the People Over Plastic campaign and set an initial goal of 200 actions for the hour. Participants earned points for completing actions, contributing to real trees planted through Climate Action Now’s programs.

PFAS Bills and Legislative Update

Alexis Goldsmith and Judith Enck opened with a sobering update on the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (PREA): despite approximately 80 potential yes votes, the bill was defeated this session due to heavy influence from industry lobbyists. Rather than close out the session without action, the group pivoted to two PFAS bills — A7738A and A2054B — that had already passed the Senate and remained alive in the Assembly. Alexis walked attendees through the call scripts and explained what was still possible before session’s end.

Forever Chemicals, Real Harm

Ella McGrail from Save the Sound explained what the two PFAS bills would accomplish — banning harmful forever chemicals from consumer products and personal care items — and why broad Assembly support made passage a real possibility. She outlined the health stakes of PFAS exposure and urged participants to make their voices heard before the legislative window closed.

What Comes Next for PREA

The conversation closed with a look ahead. Alexis and Judith committed to sending a full update to the New York Is Not Disposable email list and campaign partners after session ends, and announced a debrief call the following Tuesday for a complete session autopsy and discussion of next steps for reintroducing PREA in the coming year.