Rye approves retail plastic bag ban

RYE — Rye will become the first Westchester County community to implement a local law banning plastic bags at checkout counters. Retailers there will be barred from handing out thin plastic bags starting May 7. Dry-cleaning bags and larger, more durable plastic bags will still be allowed. Rye's city council approved the ordinance last week modeled on a three-year-old policy in Westport, Conn. Two other communities in Westchester are considering bans: Mamaroneck and White Plains.