New York begins implementing a ban on plastic bags: what you need to know

From October, grocery stores and supermarkets in New York will be banned from using plastic bags. The edition writes about which packages cannot be used and what kind of fine the violators face. New York Post.

New York State is starting to implement an earlier suspended ban on disposable plastic bags in grocery stores and supermarkets. The ban will take effect, starting from October 19.

An exception only bags used in a pharmacy for packaging prescription drugs, and for packaging fruits, vegetables, fish and meat.

Violators identified after October 19 will receive a warning from the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) after the first violation, but will not be fined. For the second violation they face fine in the amount of $ 250, for the third - $ 500.

The ban went into effect on March 1, but has stalled due to a lawsuit filed in Albany Supreme Court by Poly-Pak Industries, a Long Island plastics manufacturer.

However, the court's August ruling rejected most of the company's arguments, giving the state the green light to continue implementing the ban.

“The court decision is a victory and affirmation of the state’s efforts to end the use of most plastic bags and a direct rebuke to the plastic bag manufacturers who tried to stop the DEC law and regulations to implement it,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos.

The department also urged New Yorkers to switch to reusable bags wherever they shop.

On the subject: In New York, a law comes into effect that will affect everyone’s life

We will remind, the rule adopted in the state of New York, shops were officially forbidden to give customers the thinnest plastic bags. Instead, environmental officials are urging New Yorkers to start using reusable bags, often made from canvas or polyester. The state has purchased more than a quarter of a million of these bags for distribution at grocery stores, they said.

A law passed in April last year prohibits many types of businesses from using thin plastic bags. The problem is that bags clog landfills, become entangled in trees and accumulate in lakes and seas, causing damage to nature and the environment.

At the same time, New Yorkers are allowed to use disposable paper bags. True, different counties may charge a 5-cent commission for this.

Many buyers were dissatisfied and even shocked by the innovation. Read about what New Yorkers themselves think about the ban on the use of plastic bags. in this publication.