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After being delayed due to the COVID-19 outbreak and a pending lawsuit, enforcement of the ban of single-use plastic bags in New York that was signed into law earlier this year and effective as of Monday, Oct. 19.
The ban prohibits the use of bags in markets and grocery stores, with the exception of baggies used for pharmacy prescription, fruit, vegetables, and to wrap meat or fish. Restaurant takeout food is also exempt from the ban.
The Department of Environmental Conservation was forced to delay the enforcement of the law until Monday as the state fought a lawsuit brought about by a plastic bag manufacturer and convenience store owners that were opposed to the new legislation.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, single-use plastic bags are one of the top five single-use plastics found in the environment by magnitude, and they are one of the top five items encountered in coastline clean-ups.
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.
The EPA estimates that 80 percent of plastic pollution in the ocean originated on land, which includes plastic bags, and in New York, residents use 23 billion plastic bags annually, which contributes to pollution both on and off land. These bags do not biodegrade and they persist for years.
“New York’s bag ban has already improved New York’s health by cutting down on plastic pollution,” Kate Kurera, the Deputy Director of Environmental Advocates NY said in a statement over the weekend. “We look forward to the State beginning enforcement and stores complying with this important law.”
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