in our Spotlight on Business Report tonight the plastic War isn't over lawmakers and environmental Advocates are trying once again to pass the packaging product stewardship act it's a bill that'll cut down on the use of single-use plastics by requiring manufacturers of packaging materials to better manage what they sell and require them to use more recycled material in their products as Ted Goldberg reports there's one major rub though business lobbyists say it could cost more than $120 million they are putting their profits over our health and over our environments and we have been subsidizing those profits it's time we turn the tables on them it seemed like the environmental Community um doesn't want to solve the problem the fight over plastic packaging has seen familiar battle lines drawn the business Community who says the proposed changes would raise costs for businesses and consumers and environmentalists who argue that lawmakers should do more to reduce the amount of plastic in our daily lives 40% of the Plastics produced each year is used for single use packaging and virtually none of that is recyclable the US plastic recycling rate is abysmal it's about 5% sometimes I feel just like I'm infested with plastic Brian Thompson isn't exaggerating much thanks to the proliferation of microplastics we can show that we are plastic people that those are identified and we've also shown that in our own laboratory work as as well it is time to update the Mantra of reduce reuse and recycle our waterways and our bodies are literally swimming in Plastics and we can't recycle our way out of this crisis environmentalists have applauded a bill in Trenton that would require most companies that use plastic packaging to use less of it and fund a new D Department dedicated to managing Plastics they argue it would lead to a healthier New Jersey plastic has been linked to numerous cancers as an indicum disruptor causing reprod productive issues asthma neurological and mental health issues and diabetes these small particles can get into our lungs and and cause problems much like other fine particle air pollution um increasing risk for asthma attack COPD exacerbations increasing a risk for infections exceptions would be made for companies making less than $5 million a year in gross revenue nonprofits and public groups this is going to shift the financial burden for paying for all of this waste from New Jersey residents from towns to the companies that are actually responsible for it this is going to save towns residents lots of money money that can be used to invest in other things leaders in the business Community say that's not going to happen because companies will take those new expenses and pass it down to customers a similar bill in New York um they had an independent study done and under that independent study it would have cost a consumer uh a family $700 additionally a year um because the alternatives to some of the packaging products are more expensive we are overlaying a 40-year system of recycling in New Jersey um and the bill is really not clear how that's going to work where the business and environmental communities agree is that too much plastic ends up in the garbage Ray caner with the business and industry Association says the answer is a process called Advanced recycling basically takes um Plastics breaks it down to it it's you know through heat through pressure breaks it down to it its base elements and then allows it to be used as virgin feed stock while environmentalists don't see it that way Advanced recycling is fool's gold and it's it's a you know it's it's a path towards more toxins in our communities chemical recycling Advanced recycling whatever pseudonym it goes under isn't a solution to waste management nor is it sustainable and in some cases it's very very dangerous it's safe it's not incineration there are no emissions that are come coming out of this process the Senate environment committee is expected to vote on this bill Thursday morning chairman Bob Smith sponsored it and said back in October that he expected the bill to pass for NJ Spotlight news I'm Ted Goldberg