New York. The conclusion was clear: “All over New York, plastic bags have become an omnipresent sight,” wrote the New York State’s own plastic bag commission in its final report. “They cling to trees, litter our neighborhoods, float in our waters and are fundamentally an aesthetic eyesore in our nature.”
New York is the third state to ban plastic bags
More than 23 billion plastic bags are used each year in New York State, which has a population of around 20 million. For comparison: According to the Federal Environment Agency, consumption in Germany is two billion plastic bags per year. But disposable plastic should now largely be an end in New York: from Sunday, March 1st, there will be a ban on plastic bags.
After California and Oregon, the state is the third in the United States to have an extensive ban. There are also many local regulations. With New York, a ban comes into effect in the largest city in the country, which alone consumes more than ten billion non-reusable bags a year and where the plastic bag is a natural “basic need of urban life”, according to the New York Daily News ”Wrote.
Shops are supposed to sell paper bags
The New York ban affects non-reusable plastic bags. Only, among other things, raw meat, bulk goods, prescription drugs and take-away meals are excluded.
Instead of free plastic bags, stores can now sell paper bags for five cents. Of this, two cents go to the local administration and three to nature conservation programs. Anyone who violates the ban faces fines after a period of getting used to it. The city plans to distribute around 100,000 reusable plastic bags.
New York wants to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement
The metropolis of New York has publicly committed itself to the fight against climate change in recent years. For example, Mayor Bill de Blasio emphasized that the city wants to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement – even if the US government has withdrawn from it.
–
Nevertheless, some behaviors that have long been frowned upon as harmful to the climate elsewhere are still widespread in New York: For example, many people leave their parked car idling and stay in it for long periods of time. And very few people bring their own mug when ordering a drink in a coffee shop.
Majority of New Yorkers are in favor of banning plastic bags
According to surveys, almost all local politicians and around two-thirds of New Yorkers support the ban on plastic bags – but many still doubt its feasibility, given that plastic bags are so ubiquitous in the city. Sellers also like to give out two on top of each other in case one should tear.
But New Yorkers could get used to it quickly, says Brad Lander, Democratic councilor from Brooklyn. “We’re very capable. We think of our wallets and handbags, so we can get used to them too.”
New York is facing a major change
Many of his colleagues are more skeptical. “Customers don’t yet know about the new rules and will not be prepared for them,” warns Democratic City Councilor Mark Gjonaj from the Bronx. Manhattan Councilor Ydanis Rodriguez also warns that people on low incomes cannot afford reusable bags.
“It’s going to be a huge change,” sighs a saleswoman in a drugstore chain Duane Reade in Manhattan – and advises you to quickly put a few plastic bags in reserve.
–
