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Tag:
Plastic Pollution
Middletown, NJ
News
Absurd Items, Fewer Plastic Bags Found On NJ Beaches By Volunteers In 2023
Volunteers cleaning New Jersey's beaches in 2023 found hundreds of thousands of pieces of debris, from typical garbage to some very strange items. The environmental nonprofit group Clean Ocean Action (COA) released its 2023 Annual Beach Sweeps Report on Thursday, Apr. 4. The report shows data about the litter found on the Garden State's beaches by COA's 3,664 volunteers. COA noted that there were about 60 percent fewer volunteers during the 2023 sweeps due to bad weather. To make it consistent with previous years, 2023 data was also shown as an estimate of items removed per volunteer. The …
Lakewood, NJ
News
Plastic From Bottled Water Entangles Seal On NJ Beach
A Jersey Shore animal rehabilitation center rescued a baby seal tangled up in plastic wrapping from a case of bottled water. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC) said the female grey seal was found on the shore in Beach Haven at around 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 15. The pup was brought to MMSC's facility in Brigantine, and the plastic packaging was removed. The center's veterinarian examined the baby seal and found that the plastic had not cut into her neck. The pup was thin, lethargic, and suffered from gastrointestinal issues. The female seal was underweight at 38.2 pounds. She was…
Glen Burnie, MD
Business
Plastic Bag Ban Takes Effect In Anne Arundel County
Anne Arundel’s plastic bag ban has officially taken effect. The “Bring Your Own Bag” Plastic Reduction Act, which requires shoppers to bring their own reusable bags to the store or pay for paper, went into effect on New Year’s Day, joining Baltimore County, Howard County, and Baltimore City, which have similar laws. But what, exactly, does this mean for Anne Arundel retailers? They’ll have to charge a fee — which will be set to a minimum of 10 cents starting in February — for each bag purchased by customers at the checkout counter. Pharmacies and restaurants are exempt from charging for pa…
Harrison, NY
Business
NY AG James Sues Purchase-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…
Towson, MD
Business
Here's When The Baltimore County Retail Plastic Bag Ban Will Take Effect
Officials in Baltimore County have approved the “Bring Your Own Bag” Act, which will require shoppers to bring their own reusable bag to the store or pay a fee for paper. The controversial bill passed 5 to 2 at the Baltimore County Council’s latest meeting, and the measure will go into effect at retailers beginning in November, when plastic carryout bags will be barred, minus a few exceptions. There were some minor changes made to the bill before it passed, including dropping the fee per paper bag from 10 cents to 5 cents each. The fee will impact all shoppers in Baltimore County. Small re…
Bronxville, NY
Business
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…
Torrington, CT
News
Covid-
19: Plastic Bag Fee Returns In Connecticut
After being suspended for more than three months, the plastic bag fee at retailers in Connecticut is back as the state recovers from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signed an Executive Order on Thursday, March 26 suspending the $0.10 fee for each single-use plastic bag in an attempt to curtail the spread of COVID-19. That Executive Order expired on June 30, and as of Wednesday, July 1, retailers providing customers with plastic bags will once again be collecting the fee, which goes to the state’s Department of Revenue Services. If a store charges a …
Massapequa, NY
Lifestyle
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…
Rye, NY
Lifestyle
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…
Bronxville, NY
Business
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…
Somers, NY
News
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 …
Norwalk, CT
Politics
Styrofoam Ban Approved For Norwalk
Styrofoam packing will soon be a thing of the past for one of Fairfield County’s largest cities. In an effort to aid the environment, the Common Council voted unanimously this week to ban styrofoam in Norwalk, effective as of April 22, 2020. According to studies, styrofoam is responsible for approximately 30 percent of all landfill volume nationwide and 20 percent of the litter in bodies of water. The chemicals used to make styrofoam have also been linked to cancer and neurological issues in humans. In Norwalk, the new ordinance will ban retailers from serving, selling, distributing or pro…
Fairfield, CT
News
Stop & Shop To Ban Plastic Bags At All CT Stores
In just days, Stop & Shop will become the latest retailer in Connecticut to ban the use of single-use plastic bags. After Big Y announcing that it is eliminating the use of plastic bags in its Connecticut stores, Stop & Shop said that that, beginning on Thursday, Aug. 1, stores will begin eliminating the use of plastic bags at checkout. The store also announced that it will begin charging 10 cents per paper bag as of Tuesday, Sept. 3. The move is part of a statewide effort. “We know that the environmental impact of plastics is something our customers and communities care about he…
Fairfield, CT
Business
Plastic Bag Ban To Take Effect At Prominent Connecticut Grocery Store
Plastic bags will soon be a thing of the past at a prominent Connecticut grocery store, as they begin phasing them out as part of efforts to become more economically friendly. Big Y announced that as of Thursday, Aug. 1, it will be eliminating single-use plastic bags from more than 80 markets and specialty stores located in Connecticut and Massachusetts. "By working with shoppers, Big Y aims to further reduce consumption to make a difference across New England," the company announced. "As laws and regulations across the local communities that Big Y serves continue to change, the groce…
Fairfield, CT
Business
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 …
Newburgh, NY
Politics
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…
Fairfield, CT
Police & Fire
Connecticut Moves Step Closer To Ban On Plastic Bags, Takeout Containers, Straws
With more and more municipalities in Connecticut banning single-use plastic bags, the state is taking measures to make those measures further reaching. The legislature’s Environment Committee voted 24-4 for a bipartisan bill that would ban the sale of single-use plastic bags, straws and take-out containers as soon as 2020. The proposed legislation would require stores use 100 percent recyclable paper bags that contain no less than 40 percent recycled materials. The bill will now go to the Senate for a vote. Under the proposed law, stores that fail to comply will be issued a warning for a f…
New City, NY
News
Plastic Bag Ban Measure Passes In Rockland
In an effort to “combat litter, help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect the environment for future generations,” Rockland County s banning single-use plastic bags at retailers, restaurants and grocery stores. In a bipartisan 14-3 vote, legislators in Rockland easily backed a measure that would ban the use of bags. The bill was sponsored by County legislators Laurie Santulli and Nancy Low-Hogan and will be sent to County Executive Ed Day for approval in the next three weeks. "Plastic bags not only make Rockland County look terrible, they cause problems for our solid waste facility a…
Shelton, CT
Lifestyle
Push For Single-Use Plastic Bag Ban Picking Up Steam Statewide
The push to ban single-use plastic bags is gaining steam as elected officials propose legislation to phase them out in Connecticut. Two bills have been sent to the General Assembly’s Environmental Committee in Connecticut that would either ban or disincentive the use of such bags by charging a fee for each one used. The first bill, co-sponsored by Reps. David Michel and Josh Elliott would potentially ban plastic bags, straws, certain packaging and other products that contain microplastics. The second proposed bill, submitted by Rep. Christine Conley, would see a five-cent tax on any si…
Poughkeepsie, NY
News
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…
Armonk, NY
Lifestyle
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…
Mount Pleasant, NY
Politics
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…
White Plains, NY
Politics
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…
