Walmart shelves will look very different under a new bill targeting everyday items

WALMART is on a long list of retailers preparing to restock shelves of certain everyday essentials due to new legislation cracking down on plastic use.

Products such as toilet paper and diapers in its current plastic packaging may be scrapped as a new state recycling bill which proposes an end to the use of plastic wrap.

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The proposed Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act in New York would legally mandate companies to reduce and phase out toxic or non-reusable packaging, as reported by the New York Post.

The rules would impact companies with net income surpassing $5 million that sell or distribute certain materials and products, such as Walmart, Target, and Kroger.

They would have to replace their current packaging with reusable and environmentally friendly alternatives.

With New Yorkers producing almost five pounds of trash per person per day, the goal of the proposal is to minimize the state’s waste contributions.

Manufacturers in the Big Apple would have to reduce their non-green packaging by 10% in the next three years and 30% in 12 years.

Additionally, 5% or more of their packaging would have to qualify as reusable or refillable by 2032, followed by a 10% and 20% mandate by 2040 and 2055, respectively.

Manufacturers would also have to ensure that at least 25% of packaging is recyclable by 2032, followed by 50% by 2040 and 75% by 2055.

“New York State must follow suit to meet the moment for environmental accountability,” said the memo justifying the legislation sponsored by state Assemblywoman Deborah Glick and state Senator Peter Harckham.

“This legislation shifts the onus of recycling and waste hauling for packaging from municipalities and residents and ensures that producers of products are serving our interests by establishing solutions to sustainable packaging.”

The proposed legislation would charge a fee to companies that break the rules, with the funds to go toward recycling programs in New York as well as infrastructure.

Opponents of the bill, including the packaging industry and supermarkets, have argued that replacing plastic packaging with less protective paper packaging could result in soggy products.

“Even with its recent amendments it will eliminate the plastic film packaging that keeps essential products like toilet paper, paper towels, and diapers dry and sanitary,” said Dan Felton, CEO of the Flexible Packaging Association, per the New York Post.

“Without it, retailers and consumers face increased product damage, higher replacement costs, and less reliable shelf availability.

“We agree that we must improve recycling systems and reduce waste, but good public policy will also avoid higher costs and keep critical packaging in place to protect public health.”

Critics also fear that the packaging rules will lead to higher shelf prices.

“For independent supermarkets serving New York City’s working-class and minority communities, even modest shifts in packaging policy can quickly translate into higher costs for families,” said Nelson Eusebio, the National Supermarkets Association’s director of government affairs.

“When changes move forward without scalable, commercially viable alternatives, those costs ripple through the supply chain and affect prices at the register.”

A bill similar to the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act passed the New York Senate in 2025 but failed to pass the Assembly because of strong opposition from plastics manufacturers.

Meanwhile, other states have similar anti-plastic packaging programs in place, such as Maryland, Maine, Oregon, Colorado, California, and Minnesota.

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