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| Plastic Bags to Be Banned in New York State | Plastic Bags to Be Banned in New York State |
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| [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] | [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] |
| ALBANY — New York State lawmakers have agreed to impose a statewide ban on most types of single-use plastic bags from retail sales. | ALBANY — New York State lawmakers have agreed to impose a statewide ban on most types of single-use plastic bags from retail sales. |
| The ban, which is expected to be part of the state’s budget bills that are slated to be passed by Monday, would forbid stores to provide customers with single-use plastic bags, which are nonbiodegradable and have been blamed for everything from causing gruesome wildlife deaths to thwarting recycling efforts. | The ban, which is expected to be part of the state’s budget bills that are slated to be passed by Monday, would forbid stores to provide customers with single-use plastic bags, which are nonbiodegradable and have been blamed for everything from causing gruesome wildlife deaths to thwarting recycling efforts. |
| The plan, proposed a year ago by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, would be the second statewide ban, after California, which banned bags in 2016. Hawaii also effectively has a ban in place, since all the state’s counties bar such single-use bags. | The plan, proposed a year ago by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, would be the second statewide ban, after California, which banned bags in 2016. Hawaii also effectively has a ban in place, since all the state’s counties bar such single-use bags. |
| New York’s ban, which would begin next March, would have a number of carveouts, including food takeout bags used by restaurants, bags used to wrap deli or meat counter products and bags for bulk items. Newspaper bags would also be exempted as would garment bags. | New York’s ban, which would begin next March, would have a number of carveouts, including food takeout bags used by restaurants, bags used to wrap deli or meat counter products and bags for bulk items. Newspaper bags would also be exempted as would garment bags. |
| The plan would have an additional element allowing counties to opt in to a 5-cent fee on paper bags, revenue that would then be used for the state’s Environmental Protection Fund as well as a separate fund to buy reusable bags for consumers. | |
| Supporters said that such a two-pronged approach — paper and plastic — was necessary not only to limit the flow of litter into the state’s streets, streams and oceanfront, but also to minimize the greenhouse emissions caused by their production. | Supporters said that such a two-pronged approach — paper and plastic — was necessary not only to limit the flow of litter into the state’s streets, streams and oceanfront, but also to minimize the greenhouse emissions caused by their production. |
| “There was a real understanding that there should be a ban on plastic,” said Todd Kaminsky, a Democratic state senator from Nassau County, who is the chairman of the environmental conservation committee. “And that if people go to paper rather than reusables, we are not that better off.” | “There was a real understanding that there should be a ban on plastic,” said Todd Kaminsky, a Democratic state senator from Nassau County, who is the chairman of the environmental conservation committee. “And that if people go to paper rather than reusables, we are not that better off.” |
| A collection of cities and other localities have imposed fees on single-use carryout plastic bags, including Suffolk County, where such a plan led to a sharp reduction in their use. | A collection of cities and other localities have imposed fees on single-use carryout plastic bags, including Suffolk County, where such a plan led to a sharp reduction in their use. |
| Such a disincentive is also the goal of the state plan, said Mr. Kaminsky, whose hometown, Long Beach, N.Y., has such a program. | Such a disincentive is also the goal of the state plan, said Mr. Kaminsky, whose hometown, Long Beach, N.Y., has such a program. |
| “I think we’ll look back in a few years,” he said. “And people will wonder why we didn’t do this sooner.” | “I think we’ll look back in a few years,” he said. “And people will wonder why we didn’t do this sooner.” |