Shopping. Enforcement of New York’s plastic bag ban to start Oct. 19
New York /
| 20 Sep 2020 | 01:13
New Yorkers use an estimated 23 billion plastic bags annually — each for about 12 minutes — and approximately 85 percent of this staggering total ends up in landfills, recycling machines, waterways and streets, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels.
The Department of Environmental Conservation will begin enforcement of the state’s ban on single-use plastic carryout bags on Oct. 19, DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos announced.
The plastic bag ban, which went into effect on March 1, was not enforced per an agreement between the parties in a lawsuit brought by Poly-Pak Industries, Inc., et al, in New York State Supreme Court.
Pursuant to an order of the New York State Supreme Court, Albany County, DEC agreed to provide the parties and the court at least 30 days’ notice prior to commencing enforcement.
DEC is currently conducting extensive outreach to stakeholders, including grocery stores, retailers and others, to provide notice of the start of enforcement and answer questions.
DEC continues to encourage New Yorkers to use reusable bags wherever and whenever they shop with the #BYOBagNY campaign, launched earlier this year.
Additional information about exemptions to the plastic bag ban, frequently asked questions, and posters, flyers, and tip strips to download, as well as tips for keeping reusable bags clean are available on DEC’s website.
For more information about the plastic bag ban, reusable bags, or to file a complaint about entities using single-use plastic carryout bags, visit DEC’s website, email plasticbags@dec.ny.gov, or call (518) 402-8706.