The #BYOBagNY initiative goes live on March 1, 2020.
I’m so happy that starting on March 1, the new bag waste reduction law will take effect in New York, where over 23 billion plastic bags have historically been used each year.
#BYOBagNY Bring Your Own Bag is officially ready to launch!
The law applies to all stores, not just grocery. If you forget to bring a bag with you, many retailers will have reusable bags for sale, or offer paper bags for a state-mandated $0.05 fee. Though paper bags are biodegradable and therefore a better choice than plastic, they too have an environmental footprint which includes the material, energy, and water needed to produce them. The best thing really is to bring your own reusable shopping and produce bags.
All stores in New York are banned from providing plastic bags, except in the case of: bags for restaurant orders, meat counter products, bulk items, newspapers, dry cleaner clothes, and waste management.
The practice of charging for bags has been in practice in Europe and other parts of the world for decades. I’m super excited, that we are now forced into being more eco-minded.
Here is a link to the Bag Waste Reduction law, if you would like to learn more!
