Cookware Sustainability Alliance Advocates Succeed in New York and California in 2024

In Albany, New York, Cookware Sustainability Alliance (CSA) advocates engaged the Legislature in the final days of the legislative session in late May. Like many state bills around the country, S5648 and A3556 included cookware bans. Our advocates and CSA member company representatives met with several members of the New York Senate and House, as well as staff, to explain how PTFE is not harmful to human health or the environment. As a result of these meetings, we secured bill text amendments in both the Senate and House bills that provided a carveout for cookware products.

In Sacramento, California, CSA advocates joined forces with the California Chamber of Commerce, the California Business Roundtable, the American Chemistry Council, and the California Manufacturing and Technology Association to address SB903, which proposed a broad ban on products allegedly containing PFAS, including cookware. The bill was defeated but soon thereafter AB347 re-emerged, this time targeting just cookware and cosmetics. CSA advocates worked through June and July with the sponsor, who agreed in the end to remove cookware completely from the bill.

In both state capitals, our policy arguments based on sound science about cookware and PTFE resulted in better policy decisions being reached by elected officials when we were able to make our case.