A new piece of legislation sponsored by state Sen. Rich Funke, R-Fairport, mandating recycling at New York state parks has been adopted into law.

The legislation—S.4084A, introduced on Feb. 3 and sponsored by Funke and Sens. Tony Avella, Brad Hoylman and George Latimer—requires all state parks, historic sites and recreational facilities to introduce programs for collection of recyclables. These include paper, glass, plastics, metals and any other material which could feasibly be recycled.

Believing the program will ultimately save money by reducing the cost of waste management, Funke called the passage of the bill by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday, Sept. 13, a win-win for the state.

“New York State should set the standard for recycling for all New Yorkers. Leading by example is one of the best ways to encourage others to do the same,” Funke said, in a statement. “This will help cut down the cost of garbage removal as well. This is a clear win-win for New York. It’s really all about being environmentally friendly, while cutting the financial burden on the taxpayer as often as we can.”

The new legislation will provide flexibility in how sites promote recycling, requiring no specific number of bins or signage.

To read the full story, visit http://rbj.net/2017/09/14/new-legislation-mandates-recycling-at-state-parks/.

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