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What do you think of the bill to ban single-use plastic bags in New York?
- Love it
- Hate it
- Don't care
A brand new Quinnipiac poll released this week found that the state is nearly split down the middle, with 48 percent supporting a ban and 47 percent opposing the banning of single-use plastic bags.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced this month that a bottle bill expansion and a plastic bag ban will be included in the 2019 Executive Budget. The expansion on the bottle bill will make most non-alcoholic drink containers eligible for five-cent redemption.
According to the poll, 53 percent of women support the ban, while just 42 percent of men do.
"Given that more Democrats support a ban on plastic bags, what's surprising is that opposition is greater in New York City than it is in upstate New York," Mary Snow, polling analyst for the Quinnipiac University Poll, stated.
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.
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.
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.
"Plastic pollution has become a serious threat to our lakes, rivers and marine environment as well as public health. Scientists are finding plastic pollution in shellfish and finfish, making its way to our dinner plates,” Citizens Campaign for the Environment Executive Director Adrienne Esposito noted. “Giving up plastic bags and using reusable bags is one easy, reasonable step each member of the public can take to help combat the plastic pollution epidemic. It is time for everyone to get on the plastic bag 'ban wagon.”
What do you think? Vote in our poll and let us know.
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