New York State has delayed the enforcement of its controversial plastic bag ban for a third time.
The state’s Department of Environmental Conservation posted on its website that enforcement of the ban, which went into effect March 1, would now wait until June 15.
Enforcement of the ban was intended to begin April 1 but was extended to mid-April after New York business owners filed a lawsuit, claiming they didn’t have time to prepare for it.
The bag ban enforcement was then postponed a second time, until May 15.
“This does not affect the local laws in New York City, Suffolk County and Tompkins County requiring that the 5 cent paper carryout bag reduction fee must be charged on paper carryout bags,” the state DEC said.
The ban, controversial even before the coronavirus, has been slammed during the pandemic as it has been shown that reusable bags my help spread the deadly disease.