ALBANY – Effective today, when you go shopping at the supermarket or other store, you will not be taking home your purchases in plastic bags. The state is now enforcing the plastic bag ban.
It is estimated that New York uses 23 billion plastic bags every year.
The ban was set to kick in on March 1, but a lawsuit by the plastic bag industry stalled it. A State Supreme Court decision, though, rejected the suit and stores must comply with the ban.
Customers may bring with them reusable bags or pay for a paper bag.
Environmental Advocates New York noted that plastic bags are wreaking havoc with the environment, waterways, wildlife, and costing recycling facilities upwards of $1 million a year in damage to recycling equipment.
