Ban On Plastic Bags, Fee For Carryout Bags Eyed For New York

Paper or plastic? You may no longer get a choice if Gov. Andrew Cuomo bans plastic bags.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and several Democratic state legislators want to ban the use of plastic bags, like these ones caught in some trees, to reduce environmental pollution.
Photo Credit: *Jon Craig*

03/12/2018 5:30 a.m.

“It’s clear that we need to address the real environmental concerns caused by the proliferation of plastic ‎bags, and a ban is one of the options we’re reviewing,” Cuomo spokesman Richard Azzopardi said.

Not so fast, one state lawmaker told this New York Post in this article:

“The first step is that they should enforce what’s on the books,” said Sen. Simcha Felder who led a successful fight against New York City imposing a 5-cent fee on each plastic bag. “There’s a recycling bill that’s on the books that’s not being enforced. After they do what’s in the laws, then they can propose new laws.”

Three Democratic state legislators want to take action this year to address plastic bag pollution in New York, according to this article.

A bill sponsored by Assemblyman Steve Englebright and state Sens. Brad Hoylman and Liz Krueger would ban plastic carryout bags.

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