On any given Clarence Day take the air through New York City , plastic bags are everywhere you change state . They ’re at your recess bodega where you regularise your blimp , bollock , and cheese on a roll ; they prevail the last - minute necessities you pick up on the way home for dinner party ; they litter our streets , our underground stations , and our parks . moldable bags are ubiquitous , but begin in March , they ’ll be censor not just in the city but across the state .
According to the United States Department of State ’s Department of Environmental Conservation ( DEC ) , New York is responsible for forusing an averageof 23 billion charge card bags in a twelvemonth . It ’s a huge donation to the pliant pollution crisis that ’s so expansive , it couldmark the startle of a new geologic era . And in many case , that ’s a mickle of single - use plastics that could fairly be replaced with more sustainable alternatives .
But before heading out with the expectation that plastic bags will magically vanish from New York State entirely beginning March 1 ( they wo n’t ) , there are some central exemptions you should know about beforehand — namely , how the ban will impact single shoppers .
Photo: Getty
Grocery and On-the-Go Shopping
Under the Bag Waste Reduction Law , New York shopper will be carry to bring their own old bag . That let in simply reusing a plastic bag you ’ve come home with before — something you’re able to stick around in a pouch or bag if you screw you ’ll be out and about — as well as material and report bags . Backpacks and large bag also typically allow some extra space for a dejeuner or some last - minute shopping and are great no - hassle alternatives you wo n’t have to remember to bring along with you whenever you leave the house .
Do n’t have a reusable bag at your administration ? The New York City Department of Sanitation ( DSNY ) isholding a crowd of eventsin all five boroughs to distribute free recyclable bags until the end of March .
With that said , there ’ll still be some shaping handbag granting immunity to on - the - go and food market shopping . That include credit card used to wrap meat , seafood , poultry and some other raw or prepared foods , as well as bags from pharmacies to have a bun in the oven prescription drug . You ’ll also still be capable to employ plastic bag for item from bulk bin , like alimentary paste , nut , fruit , candy , and small computer hardware item like nuts and bolt ( pro tip : you may also bring reusable bags for those , too ) . Plastic wo n’t entirely disappear from your shopping experience just yet , but you will see a lot less of it .
WIC and SNAP Recipients
It ’s important to remember that bag bans — while an important step for reducing waste and reducing single - use of goods and services plastic — do not affect all communities in the same way . In addition to the plastic base ban , counties and cities will be permitted to charge resident afive - centime feeper paper carryout bag for customers who do n’t bring their own . Those fees are the character of policy that can disproportionately burdenlow - income and communities of color .
lawmaker took that under consideration when they put together New York ’s pliant pocketbook ban , and the fee for carryout bags will be waive for some shopper . Both SNAP and WIC program recipients will be exempt from the composition bag fee , whether or not either is used to pay for all or part of their purchase .
Delivery and Carry Out
As with food items that are packaged to - social club at deli replication and bulk stations in market stores , takeaway will also get a pass . The DEC states that bags “ provided by a eatery , tavern or similar food service establishment , as define in the New York nation sanitary code , to carry out or deliver prepared food ” will till be allowed . Presumably , this means that your Postmates and unseamed orders will still come deliver in charge card bags . We ’ve reach out to the DEC for more information on that front and will update this post if we hear back .
Other Exemptions
There are a few other places in New York you ’ll still see plastic bags become up . Newspapers — the ones surrender by subscription — will still come wrapped in plastic . Dry cleanup and washables will also be nontaxable from the fictile bag ban . Trash bags , as well as intellectual nourishment and freezer bag , are also still permitted for sale . And the DEC still leaves somewiggle roomfor single - use plastic traveling bag “ for which there is no reasonable or hard-nosed option for hive away , containing or transporting items , ” though those exemptions are at its discretion . Oh , and live fish and insects will still be permitted to be sold in those flyspeck plastic bags , somewhat unfortunately for them .
But by and large , New York resident will be look to institute their own bags in the bulk of eccentric . So do n’t sleep on snagging one of thosefree DSNYtotes !
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