Reader survey shows Warwick split on plastic bag fee

BY ERIKA NORTON
WARWICK — Warwick residents are split nearly right down the middle on the proposed plastic bag fee, according to a recent online survey of Warwick Advertiser readers.
The Town of Warwick is considering a new local law, which if approved, would impose a five cent fee on consumers for each carryout bag provided by any business in the town, including the ShopRite and Price Chopper. Exemptions to the proposed law include those using WIC and SNAP programs and home delivery services.
The law would not affect businesses in the town's three villages.
The town's goal is to promote the use of reusable bags and discourage the use of carryout plastic and paper bags. According to the town's calculations, Warwick residents use 11 million plastic and paper bags a year.
Survey resultsOut of the 137 online survey-takers with a Warwick zip code, 49 percent of responders said they are in favor of the fee, while 51 percent of responders said they are opposed.
Residents from other parts of Warwick, including Pine Island, Florida, Greenwood Lake and Sterling Forest, also took the survey. Out of the 17 survey takers from these areas, nine were in favor of the fee, while eight were opposed.
Readers of the other Straus Newspapers, the parent company of The Warwick Advertiser, also took the survey. These papers cover other parts of Orange County, parts of Sussex County, N.J. and West Milford in Passaic County.
Out of the total 201 people who took the survey, the results were almost identical to the Warwick responders. With slightly more people opposed to the fee, 48 percent said they were in favor while 52 percent said they were opposed.
There were also two survey takers in the state of Florida, possibly snowbirds or vacationers, who both said they oppose the fee.
Also interestingly, 68 percent of those who took the survey were were female, while 29 percent were male and 3 percent responded “other.”
The Town of Warwick has held been holding public hearings about the plastic bag fee over the last few weeks to receive feedback from residents.
State issue as wellThe issue of plastic bags and their impact on the environment has also become a statewide focus for the Department of Environmental Conservation. DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos issued a comprehensive report last month outlining eight potential solutions to address the disposal of plastic bag waste in the state.
The report was sent to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature for consideration.
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