The single-use plastic bag ban passed and signed by legislators and Governor Andrew Cuomo during the spring has taken effect.
On Monday, the ban on single-use plastic bags took hold, after a DEC announcement two weeks ago that October 19th would be the day.
The ban was not initially enforced due to an agreement with a plastics producing company. However, there were also questions during the early-days of the COVID-19 pandemic about safety of using re-usable bags in grocery stores.
The aforementioned lawsuit was brought by Poly-Pak Industries, Inc., Green Earth Food Corp., Francisco Marte, Mike Hassen, and the Bodega and Small Business Association in State Supreme Court.
The court ultimately ruled in favor of the state, and DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said that ruling was a ‘vindication’ of the legislative effort to end the ‘scourge’ of single-use plastic bags.
“As we have for many months, DEC is encouraging New Yorkers to make the switch to reusable bags whenever and wherever they shop and to use common-sense precautions to keep reusable bags clean. The Court has ruled and DEC will begin to enforce the ban on October 19th. It’s time to BYOBagNY,” Seggos added.
Plastic bag ban will be enforced beginning next week in New York
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