| Single-use plastic bags such these are will be a thing of the past come Sunday, March 1 |
New York is going bagless as the state's single-use plastic bag ban will take effect on Sunday, March 1. Merchants in New York City will begin to apply a five-cent fee on paper bags on that day.
The ban, which was signed into law in 2017 by Governor Andrew Cuomo, is meant to reduce waste at local landfills and prevent plastic bags from entering the state's waterways.
New York will become the eighth state to join the single-use plastic bag ban. Similar laws are already on the books in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Oregon, and Vermont.
In New York City, customers will need to bring their own reusable bags when shopping at stores. Stores across the City will charge a five-cent fee per paper bag if a customer requests one. The fee will not be applied to customers who are on public assistance.
Restaurants, meat markets, fish shops, pharmacies, and dry cleaners are exempt from the ban.
For more information on the single-use plastic bag ban, the New York City Department of Sanitation has a special section on its website, which can be accessed here.
