PRESS RELEASE: National Supermarket Association Issues Statement in Opposition to the Expansion of the New York Bottle Bill

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: May 15, 2024
Contact: [email protected]

This week, the National Supermarket Association issued the following statement in opposition to the proposed expansion of the New York Bottle Bill. Below, you will also find a quote from NSA’s Director of Governmental Affairs Nelson Eusebio. 

NSA Statement:

We represent 600 supermarkets throughout New York City. These stores are owned primarily by Hispanic men and women who have taken the initiative to open supermarkets in food deserts in often economically depressed and mostly minority neighborhoods. In the five boroughs alone, National Supermarket Association represents more than 400 stores that employ about 15,000 New Yorkers. 

It is our belief that the expansion of New York’s Bottle Bill will negatively impact our members’ businesses and the people they serve. This legislation will raise costs for these local businesses and their employees, and hurt customers who will not be able to afford the price increases this proposal will most certainly cause. This could cost people their jobs and livelihoods – and will put supermarkets in already underserved areas at risk. 

That is why we strongly urge lawmakers not to pass the amendments to New York’s Bottle Bill and to look for other solutions to improve the state’s recycling and redemption program.Quote:

“We at the National Supermarket Association staunchly oppose the passage of the amendments to New York’s Bottle Bill, which we believe will result in rising costs to businesses and in turn will hurt supermarket employees and consumers who will not be able to afford the price increases this bill will most certainly cause. This bill being rushed through the New York State Legislature could cost people their jobs and livelihoods – and will put supermarkets in underserved areas at risk, something that people living in food deserts cannot afford.” 

— Nelson Eusebio, Director of Government Affairs, National Supermarket Association 

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