WASHINGTON (Press Release) - American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Donna Harman issued the following the statement after today's passage of SB 362 in the New York state Senate, which would prohibit localities with over 1 million residents from imposing any fee, tax or charge on carry-out bags.

"AF&PA supports this bill because paper bags are not part of the problem New York is trying to solve. These taxes wrongfully penalize a commodity that is highly recycled, compostable and made from a renewable resource.

"The paper and paper-based packaging industry has achieved a consistently high rate of recovery voluntarily. In 2015, 66.8 percent of all paper consumed in the United States was recovered for recycling, and the recovery rate has met or exceeded 63 percent for the past six years."

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Join Jim Thompson on the 2nd Annual Papermakers Mission Trip to Guatemala, 22 - 29 July 17. Build houses, talk about the pulp and paper industry. For more information, email jthompson@taii.com with "Guatemala" in the subject line.