Poll: Should Plastic Bags Be Banned in NYS?
Governor Andrew Cuomo has proposed a ban on Plastic Bags in NYS. Why? Well according to www.conserve-energy-future.com there are 20+ Reasons Why Plastic Bags Should Be Banned, while BagTheBan.com says Plastic bags are the best option for the environment. Well this is obviously debatable as not everyone agrees with Governor Andrew Cuomo's proposal to ban Plastic Bags in NYS. Another One of those who opposes the ban is Wegmans. According to News Reports, a spokesperson for Wegmans said this:
"We are not in favor of Governor Cuomo’s proposed bill. It has long been Wegmans’ position that unintended consequences come from banning anything.
We know from experience that it’s possible to reduce the use of single-use plastic bags by educating customers about reusable bags and reminding them to bring plastic bags back to our store for recycling. This, coupled with the use of plastic bags made from recycled plastic will have a much greater impact in the long run. Wegmans uses a true closed-loop recycling program. Our plastic bags are made from 40 percent recycled plastic that is returned to our stores by our own customers, and our recycling rate for plastic bags averaged close to 50 percent in 2017.
When it comes to limiting the bagging options available to consumers, it’s important to fully understand the impact of each option on the environment. A plastic bag ban that doesn’t also address single-use paper bags will likely lead to an increase in the use of paper bags, which is not what’s best for the environment. Paper bags are heavier and take up more space; it takes seven tractor trailers to transport the same number of paper bags as plastic bags carried by one tractor trailer. It also takes about 90 percent more resources and energy to make and recycle paper compared to plastic."
TOPS Supermarkets' response was simple, without taking sides...they say they'll abide by the ban if it takes place:
"Tops Friendly Markets has always and will continue to abide by any legislation set forth by the communities we serve," said Kathy Romanowski, public and media relations manager for Tops Friendly Markets. “We ramped up our plastic bag recycling efforts over the past few years to include multiple recycle bins, increasing the distribution of reusable shopping bags while encouraging customers to use them more frequently, and encouraging the use of insulated bags even outside of their shopping experience for other activities (i.e. picnics) in place of plastic bags. In 2017, TOPS recycled 586 tons of plastic.”
Assemblyman Al Stripe, according to News Reports, agrees with Governor Cuomo's Ban Proposal:
"It's obvious to everyone that plastic bags cause great harm to our environment, finding their way into our streams, lakes and oceans. And, as convenient as they have come to be, if we are truly going to reduce our impact on the world around us, this is one area where change is clearly needed. I plan to support this effort and look forward to working with the governor to do what we can to reduce the impact of single-use plastic bags on the environment. We need to address this issue and we need to do it now."
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