Relates to establishing extended producer responsibility for tires; provides that no later than June 30, 2027 a producer shall submit a plan for the establishment of a collection program for tires; establishes the tire extended producer responsibility fund.
S07553 would create a new extended producer responsibility (EPR) program for tires in New York. It defines “covered products” broadly to include most rubber tires used on passenger and commercial on-road and off-road vehicles, and it requires tire producers, either individually or through a representative organization, to submit a collection plan to the Department of Environmental Conservation by June 30, 2027. The plan must provide for free, convenient collection, transportation, reuse, recycling, and end-of-life management of discarded tires, along with consumer education, reporting, and performance goals.
The bill also phases in disposal restrictions and producer obligations. Beginning in 2028, producers may not sell tires in the state unless they are participating in an approved collection program, and retailers may not sell covered tires unless the producer is in compliance. The bill sets escalating recycling targets, including closed-loop recycling requirements, and requires post-consumer content in new tires over time. It creates a tire stewardship advisory board, authorizes DEC rulemaking, and establishes a tire extended producer responsibility fund to receive penalty revenues and support program administration and enforcement.
The bill would amend the Environmental Conservation Law by adding a new Title 34 to Article 27 and would also amend the State Finance Law to create the Tire Extended Producer Responsibility Fund. It would further revise existing tire-related provisions in the Environmental Conservation Law, including extending certain current waste tire fee and collection provisions through January 31, 2027 and updating definitions and enforcement references. Producers, retailers, tire service businesses, recyclers, collectors, and solid waste facilities would all be affected by new compliance, reporting, and disposal requirements, while DEC would gain new oversight, approval, reporting, and enforcement responsibilities.
The available voting history suggests generally favorable committee sentiment toward the bill, with the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee approving it by 9-2 on May 20, 2025 and again by 9-1 on March 25, 2026. The lack of transcript excerpts limits insight into detailed debate, but the repeated committee support indicates substantial backing for the concept of shifting tire disposal and recycling costs to producers. The bill appears to align with broader environmental stewardship and waste reduction goals.
The main points of likely contention are the costs and operational burdens placed on tire producers and retailers, the feasibility of meeting the bill’s recycling and post-consumer content targets, and the practicality of the mandated collection network across the state. Retailer participation is effectively tied to producer compliance, which may raise concerns about supply-chain enforcement and administrative complexity. Another possible point of debate is the disposal ban and the extent to which consumers, households, and businesses would need to change tire disposal practices, especially as the bill phases in restrictions and penalties over several years.