Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo marked Earth Day on Monday by signing into law a measure banning most single-use plastic bags, making New York the third state in the nation to enact a statewide bag policy.
The ban, which goes into effect in March 2020, prohibits retailers that collect sales tax, including supermarkets and small businesses, from handing out disposable plastic bags, with a few exceptions.
Garment bags, trash bags and any bags used to hold certain foods, such as fruits and sliced meats, are exempt from the ban. Plastics used to wrap restaurant take-out food are also exempt.
“You see plastic bags hanging in trees, blowing down the streets, in landfills and in our waterways, and there is no doubt they are doing tremendous damage,” Cuomo said in a statement. “Twelve million barrels of oil are used to make the plastic bags we use every year and by 2050 there will be more plastic by weight in the oceans than fish. We need to stop using plastic bags, and today we’re putting an end to this blight on our environment.”
The state Department of Environmental Conservation will work with stakeholders and community leaders to ensure the ban does not disproportionately impact low and moderate income communities, and to work with environmental justice groups to distribute reusable bags, according to Cuomo’s office.
Counties or cities can opt to charge a five-cent fee for single-use paper bags. Three cents would go to the Environmental Protection Fund, while the other two cents will go to the locality to pay for distribution of reusable bags.
Cuomo would probably be the first person caught with a plastic bag.
My question is can you get arrested if you use a plastic bag to carry a 2 liter soda bottle that you are drinking with a plastic straw.
Don’t know… But Starbucks in Florida near the beaches doesn’t offer plastic straws
All NYC Zoos and Botanical Gardens are not offering straws with the drinks anymore ( few good years).so we can use something else or use reusable water bottles not plastic. It’s so good to see our city not messy specially after a Big Events when all streets are trashed with garbages
Like life in NYC, holding a plastic bag will yield you a $300. ticket
Live and let live
just another way to make life harder for new yorkers. why not go after those that liter instead of those trying to live their lives. How will i go shopping?
It may be inconvenient for you and that’s not easy to all of a sudden have to deal with something new. At the same time, their focus and goal for implementing this new law is not to’inconvenience’ you. There are reasons for this new law. Maybe, if you have some time, research the effect that one time use plastic has on other things that we use, need and soon may not have anymore because of our plastic usage. I carelessly also used one time use plastic all the time. Until I read up a bit more on the whole fuss… Read more »
Old Fashion way with a Tote ? or make All delivered to your doors
You know how hard it is to remember your bag?!
What if an illegal immigrant is carrying a plastic bag?
Illegal immigrants are exempt
Great news. Whoever is complaining, they didn’t have plastic bags years ago, figure it out. We have to start thinking about the future generations and not just ourselves. All this pollution and plastic is making our animals and water unhealthy . It’s time to care about the beautiful world Hashem created and make more effort to preserve it.
Really! let’s hear what procedure you have in mind!
Bring you own bag! Keep it in the trunk, carry it to your shopping cart, give it to the bagger by checkout and walla! Your very own bags to keep!
Now I need to buy a carton of platic bags on Amazon and bring it with me whenever I go shopping. All it does is save the store money from buying the plastic bags. STUPID!
Exactly the point! Just please don’t buy disposable. The point is for you to bring your own reusable bags.
How are you supposed to know how many bags to bring? What is you change your mind and you see something on sale and decide to stock up? Reusable bags are heavy, and if you do big shopping you can need a dozen or more.
reuseable are not heavy. i keep a reuseable in my shoulder bag. its folds into a 2″ x 1″ keychain. it holds a lot. Plus i keep shopping bag holder which makes carrying it a lot easier.
Aother iron-fisted government ruling.
Bwahahahahaha! Do your research! It’s worse for the environment to ban the bags. The paper bags are much worse, between cutting down trees and the “carbon footprint” to make them. Another feel good legislation from your nanny state, telling you how to live your life. Wait until they ban meat on Mondays…. Oh wait. They already did that. Enjoy! Maybe you guys will start voting this garbage out???
You know better than all the government advisors and researchers!!
It took 5779 years to realize plastic bags are bad for New York?!
The left is causing all this
Fight crime the way you worry about whales
Sic priorities