New York lawmakers announced an agreement Thursday to ban all plastic bags in an effort to reduce waste and make the state as green as possible.
A ban on plastic bags will be included in the state’s budget due April 1, according to New York Democratic Sen. Todd Kaminsky, CBS New York reported. “The idea is to go not from plastic to paper but from plastic to reusable.”
The move is intended to encourage and force customers to bring their own bags to shop rather than rely on food and service companies to provide plastic bags to customers.
Most states do not ban plastic bags but require customers to pay a small fee, usually five cents, for every plastic bag they use.
If the ban is implemented, New York will be the second state to outright ban plastic bags across the state, according to CBS.
California was the first state to ban plastic bags in August 2014. Hawaii also bans non-biodegradable plastic bags in its most populated counties, and the District of Columbia requires all outfits that sell food or alcohol to charge five cents for plastic and paper bags, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
“[I]n New York we are moving forward with the nation’s strongest environmental policies and doing everything in our power to protect our natural resources for future generations,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in January after announcing the proposal. The move will “create a cleaner and greener New York for all,” according to Cuomo.
Grocery and convenience stores, and other food, beverage and service establishments will be banned from using or selling plastic bags under the proposal.
Food delivery and carry-out services, however, will not be prohibited from using plastic bags for deliveries.
New York counties and municipalities will decide whether to charge customers five cents for paper bags, according to CBS.
Approximately 40 percent of the bag tax will remain with the county and 60 percent will go to the state under the agreement, according to Kaminsky.
New Yorkers have mixed opinions about the proposal. “It’s about time, right,” said Hell’s Kitchen chef Marco Santos, CBS reported. Others aren’t so enthused.
“I’m all for the environment and I believe in global warming and that kind of stuff, but this stuff is a little petty. I don’t believe it’s gonna work,” said New Yorker Kevin Clarke, according to CBS.
Read more at Daily Caller
The difference between a CONSERVATIVE and a LIBERAL is Conservatives want to reuse Plastic Bags Liberals want to ban them
Plastic grocery bags cost 10¢ in California. A friend used the free ones to pick up after his Great Dane, effectively recycling them. Now, he has to buy other bags for the same task. I’m a little fuzzy on how that saved anything?
After currency conversion, they’re 3 for a dime in Canuckistan.
It didn’t save a darn thing. Plastic bags are still available in Taxafornia. Yes they cost $.10 if you need one at a grocery store (or any place that sells groceries) but they are free at Home Depot, Lowes, True Value, Tractor Supply and etc…
One can still get for free plastic bags from the produce section at any grocery store. I often use these to carry the things I just purchased from the store that sells the $.10 bags.
I wonder if these campaigns against trivial environmental irritants are really leftist recruitment tools. If you can’t see the big picture for the plastic bags, you’re another useful idiot.
Liberal Democrats and Eco-Wackos are total idiots themselves its because of these Eco-Wackos and junk science that CFC’s and DDT was banned a more natural cause which were responsible for Bird Eggshells to be thin that had nothing to do with man made products Hey we all want to conserve Wildlife and protect the enviroment its just we got to use some Common Sense
NYC is on the verge of bankruptcy and the priority is plastic bags ?
What is the matter with these people ?
Well folks we can’t meet our pension obligations , repair infrastructure , but you can sleep at night knowing we are going to beat plastic bags into submission come hell or high water .
Is this what happens when politicians can no longer spend , borrow
in order to buy votes ? What’s next straws ?
The worms have spoiled the Big Apple