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Plastic Pollution

Business
NY AG James Sues Westchester-Headquartered PepsiCo For Contributing To Plastic Pollution NY AG James Sues Westchester-Headquartered PepsiCo For Contributing To Plastic Pollution
NY AG James Sues Westchester-Headquartered PepsiCo For Contributing To Plastic Pollution New York Attorney General Letitia James is suing Westchester County-headquartered PepsiCo and accusing the soda company of significantly contributing to plastic pollution in the state.  The lawsuit, which alleges PepsiCo Inc. harms both the public and the environment with its products' single-use plastic packaging, was filed and announced by James on Wednesday, Nov. 15.  According to the lawsuit, the company, which has its global headquarters in Purchase at 700 Anderson Hill Rd., "contributes significantly" to high levels of plastic pollution along the Buffalo River, contaminating…

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by Ben Crnic
Business
Wegmans Will Eliminate Plastic Bags In All Stores Wegmans Will Eliminate Plastic Bags In All Stores
Wegmans Will Eliminate Plastic Bags In All Stores Wegmans is going all-in on its plastic bag ban. The grocery giant announced that it will eliminate the use of plastic bags companywide by the end of 2022 as it seeks to shift customers to reusable bags, which they said is "the best option to solve the environmental challenge of single-use grocery bags.” Moving forward, Wegmans locations will be charging five cents per paper bag, mirroring measures that have already been put in place in New York and other major markets. Officials said that in areas that have eliminated plastic bags, approximately a quarter of customers use paper bags, whil…

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
Regulations Finalized For NY Plastic Bag Ban To Take Effect Regulations Finalized For NY Plastic Bag Ban To Take Effect
Regulations Finalized For NY Plastic Bag Ban To Take Effect Enforcement on the ban of single-use plastic bags at New York retailers on March 1 is expected to be lenient at the start, as final regulations for the ban are finalized. As of Sunday, March 1, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s legislation goes into effect, banning plastic bags statewide. However, amid fears of a paper bag shortage, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation reportedly acknowledged that retailers may not have had enough time to remove plastic bags from their stores. As a result, the NYSDEC plans to let retailers finish off their supplies of plastic bags after t…

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
Stop & Shop Offers Free Reusable Bags At Stores Ahead Of Statewide Ban On Plastic Stop & Shop Offers Free Reusable Bags At Stores Ahead Of Statewide Ban On Plastic
Stop & Shop Offers Free Reusable Bags At Stores Ahead Of Statewide Ban On Plastic With single-use plastic bags becoming banned from New York retailers, Stop & Shop is offering customers a new alternative with free reusable bags. In an effort to ease the transition from plastic to paper when the ban takes effect on Sunday, March 1, Stop & Shop is offering to trade carryout plastic bags for free reusable bags (while supplies last). Beginning on Saturday, Feb. 22, Stop & Shop will have information tables set up at stores to answer questions about the upcoming ban. The tables will also have giveaway items, including a free reusable bag for every customer who bri…

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by Zak Failla
Business
Wegmans, With New Store In Area Near Opening, Phasing Out Single-Use Plastic Bags In NY Wegmans, With New Store In Area Near Opening, Phasing Out Single-Use Plastic Bags In NY
Wegmans, With New Store In Area Near Opening, Phasing Out Single-Use Plastic Bags In NY Have your reusable grocery bags ready? With a new store set to open in the area over the summer, Wegmans announced that the company is planning to phase out single-use plastic grocery bags in all its New York stores as of Monday, Jan .27. The grocery store giant announced on Monday, Jan. 6, that ahead of a planned statewide ban on single-use bags that takes effect in March, they will begin encouraging customers to use reusable bags. Related story: Wegmans Sets Official Opening Day For Harrison Location Paper bags will still be available for a five-cent fee, with sales being donated…

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by Zak Failla
News
Plastic Bag Ban Will Soon Take Effect In This Westchester Town Plastic Bag Ban Will Soon Take Effect In This Westchester Town
Plastic Bag Ban Will Soon Take Effect In This Westchester Town While the ban on single-use plastic bags in New York State begins in March, a Westchester town is taking the initiative and will begin a town-wide ban beginning next month. Beginning on Sunday, Dec. 1, the Town of Mamaroneck will institute a ban on single-use bags and a 5-cent fee on paper bags in local stores, after the Town Board passed the “Mamaroneck Bag Waste Reduction Law.” The legislation was agreed upon unanimously by the Town Board in September. The statewide ban takes effect as of March 2020. When the ban takes effect, restaurants will still be permitted to provide plastic bags …

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by Zak Failla
Business
Whole Foods Will Become First National Grocer To Ban Plastic Straws Whole Foods Will Become First National Grocer To Ban Plastic Straws
Whole Foods Will Become First National Grocer To Ban Plastic Straws Get ready to say goodbye to plastic straws, Whole Foods shoppers, the supermarket chain has officially announced that it will be the first national grocer to eliminate the product from its stores. By July, the retailer announced that it will remove plastic straws from all Whole Foods-operated venues. This includes Allegro coffee bars, juice bars and cafes. The ban includes all of the grocer’s locations throughout the United States as well as Canada and the United Kingdom. As a more sustainable alternative to plastic straws, officials say, Whole Foods employees will offer paper straws with …

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by Valerie Musson
Politics
Here's When Ban On Single-Use Plastic Bags Takes Effect In NY Here's When Ban On Single-Use Plastic Bags Takes Effect In NY
Here's When Ban On Single-Use Plastic Bags Takes Effect In NY Single-use plastic bags will soon be extinct in New York State. Citing pollution and concerns for animal safety on Earth Day, April 22, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation that will ban the use of single-use bags beginning on March 1, 2020. The plastic bag ban was included in Cuomo’s recently released $175.5 billion state budget. According to Cuomo, New Yorkers use billions of plastic bags annually, which do not biodegrade, creating massive amounts of litter in neighborhoods and waterways and posing a threat to the health of area residents and the environment. The ban is expected…

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by Zak Failla
News
Vote Now: What Do You Think Of Dutchess' Ban On Plastic Bags? Vote Now: What Do You Think Of Dutchess' Ban On Plastic Bags?
Vote Now: What Do You Think Of Dutchess' Ban On Plastic Bags? Dutchess County is going green, and plastic bags will soon be a relic of the past at area retailers. Elected officials in Dutchess County have voted to eliminate single-use carryout bag at retail stores, joining several other counties in New York looking to ban plastic bags. The ban will take effect on Jan. 1, 2020. Between 500 billion and one trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Less than 1 percent of plastic bags are recycled in the United States and they are not acceptable at certain recycling centers. "T…

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
Westchester City May Become State's First To Charge For Paper, Plastic Bags Westchester City May Become State's First To Charge For Paper, Plastic Bags
Westchester City May Become State's First To Charge For Paper, Plastic Bags Retailers may be going greener in an effort to eliminate the option of single-use carryout bags at stores in Yonkers. Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano and members of the Yonkers Green City Advisory Committee announced their plan to submit legislation to the City Council regarding the use of single-use paper and plastic bags in the city. Under the proposed Environmental Protection and Pollution Prevention Act, retail stores would charge a five cent fee on all single-use carryout plastic and paper bags. If passed, Yonkers would be the first big city in New York State to authorize any restriction…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
Cuomo Announces Plan To Ban Plastic Bags Cuomo Announces Plan To Ban Plastic Bags
Cuomo Announces Plan To Ban Plastic Bags A day after the world celebrated Earth Day, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed a bill that would ban plastic bags throughout the state. Cuomo announced on Monday that he has introduced legislation that would ban single-use, plastic carryout bags based on the recommendation of the New York State Plastic Bags Task Force, which “outlined the environmental impact” of reducing the use of the bags at retail locations. Led by State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos along with co-chairs Sen. Thomas O'Mara and Assemblyman Steve Englebright, the Task Force was ta…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
Westchester May Become Latest County To Trash Plastic Bags, Foam Westchester May Become Latest County To Trash Plastic Bags, Foam
Westchester May Become Latest County To Trash Plastic Bags, Foam As people around the globe observe Earth Day on Sunday, Westchester County Legislators Kitley Covill and Nancy Barr are putting their environmental principles into action. On Thursday,  April 19, they proposed legislation to encourage the use of reusable bags and keep single-use plastic checkout bags out of the county’s streets, landfills and waterways. The legislation additionally takes aim at polystyrene foam, banning its use in food packing and other kinds of items packed in the county. “This is the first step toward a goal we all share -- to improve the environment by eliminating the p…

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by Jon Craig