New York’s plastic bag ban officially took effect Sunday — but the state will wait until April 1 to penalize stores that violate it. That’s a good thing for some merchants whose stores were still giving out their remaining plastic bags.
The ban was greeted mostly positively by New Yorkers who spoke to amNewYork Metro on Sunday. Many of them expressed concern about the long-term effects the bags have on the environment.
Single-use paper bags are allowed, but counties have the option of imposing a 5-cent fee. Some stores were already charging for paper bags, including CVS drug stores, but Target staff were seen giving their bags out for free.
The state’s ban exempts bags used for restaurant takeout food, plastic bags used to wrap meat and bags used for prepared food.
The State Department of Environmental Conservation said Friday that New York has agreed to delay enforcement as it fights a lawsuit in Albany County court, lodged by a manufacturer of plastic bags and by an association of 6,000 convenience store owners who call the ban unconstitutional.
Reactions mostly positive
“I’m thinking I got lucky, I didn’t have to pay for them, but I saw some woman buying Key Food reusable bags, yea, I’m gonna miss them, but I gotta get used to it I guess,” said Ray Suarez of Sheepshead Bay, who was shopping with his daughter Tiara at a local Key Food.
“I think they should keep the plastic bags, because not everybody wants to pay 5, 10, 15 cents for the bags when spending enough for food,” said Frank Gianni, of Gravesend, Brooklyn. […]
