Starting March 1, 2020, a new bag waste reduction law took effect in New York State.
Types of Bags Allowed
While shoppers can bring any type of bag, including film plastic, many retailers will have reusable bags for sale but may opt to provide paper bags.
The Bag Waste Reduction Law and Who it Affects
Effective March 1, 2020, all plastic carryout bags are banned from distribution by anyone required to collect New York State sales tax. For sales that are tax exempt, plastic carry out bags are still not allowed to be distributed by anyone required to collect New York State sales tax (unless it is an exempt bag). The law will affect anyone required to collect New York State sales tax, bag manufacturers and consumers. Cities and counties will also be involved. Under the law:
•Cities and counties are authorized to adopt a $.05 paper carry out bag reduction fee. This means that in these areas, a consumer will be charged $.05 for each paper carryout bag provided at checkout. In areas that have adopted the $.05 paper carryout bag reduction fee, the fee does not apply to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and WIC (Women, Infants, and Children — a nutrition program) recipients, and they are exempt from paying a paper carryout bag reduction fee for paper carryout bags.
•Stores covered under the NYS Plastic Bag Reduction, Reuse and Recycling Act will still be required to collect plastic bags and other film plastics from consumers for recycling. Film plastics include items such as bread bags and plastic wraps that come over cases of water, paper towels and other similar items.
Exempt Bags
Some bags are exempt under the law, so plastic bags may still be distributed to consumers in a few specific circumstances, such as a bag used by a pharmacy to carry prescription drugs, and produce bags for bulk items such as fruits and vegetables.
Published in the March 2020 Edition