Town working on revisions to carryout bag proposal

By Linda Smith Hancharick
WARWICK — The town has adjourned its public hearing on the proposal to charge five cents per paper or plastic bag provided at checkouts throughout the town while it incorporates revisions to the proposed law.
Town Supervisor Michael Sweeton said the board has heard pros and cons to the proposed carryout bag law and is incorporating some changes. Once that has been done, they will reopen the public hearing for the revised law.
One issue Sweeton said they want to account for is, if the law is put in place, how they will know if it is working. They are working on a provision for a reporting requirement.
Another issue they are including in the law is exempting those who get their groceries through home delivery.
This law would not affect businesses in any of the three villages.
The town would like to encourage reusable bag giveaways by ShopRite and Price Chopper and any other business located in the town. The town can't mandate giveaways but they are trying to work with businesses, especially the large grocery stores, to encourage people to carry and use reusable bags.
There are exemptions already in the proposal, including for people using WIC and SNAP programs.
In-store vegetable and bakery bags are also exempt, as well as dry cleaning bags, prescription bags and liquor store bags.
The first two public hearings saw a split in opinion. Many expressed their desire to see this local law put on the books because of the environmental effects plastic bags have. In Warwick alone it is estimated that 11 million plastic bags are used each year.
Others were opposed, citing the cost of reusable bags, cross contamination and the need for these plastic bags by some people, especially for trash. The Warwick Advertiser is conducting a poll, the results of which so far were also split.
“It's pretty clear to me that people are split on the issue,” said Sweeton. “I think they all agree we have to do something. They're just not sure if putting a charge on the bags is the answer.”
Sweeton said the board is not rushing the issue. They will make their revisions and reopen the hearing, probably at the end of April.
“We are not trying to rush into anything,” he said. “Everyone has made good points.”

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