Single Use Plastic Bag Ban & Bottle Bill Expansion In NYS

You have to pretty much be an Attorney to read through understand the entire 'NEW YORK STATE PLASTIC BAG TASK FORCE REPORT' but the long and short of it is that the proposal is for Single Use Plastic Bags to be banned in New York State, with an additional Bottle Bill Expansion which would encourage Recycling by making most Non-Alcoholic bottle to carry a .5 cent redemption.

According to Reports, Governor Andrew Cuomo did a study last year and determined that

"an estimated 23 billion such bags were used each year in New York State".

Gov. Cuomo added:

"In New York we are moving forward with the nation's strongest environmental policies and doing everything in our power to protect our natural resources for future generations,"

I attempted to find some information regarding fines for misuse or abuse of the upcoming law banning plastic nags but couldn't find anything specific. I did find an unbelievable stat out of South Africa where plastic bags have been banned for a while and saw this (according to SBS News:

In 2017 Kenya topped South Africa’s tough stance on bags by making producing, selling and even using plastic bags illegal. To make sure the message hit home, Kenya imposed a maximum fine of $AU56,000 – making it the world’s toughest law aimed at reducing plastic pollution. Its ban aimed to reduce the impact on wildlife, combat increased cases of malaria (the bags were thought to be breeding grounds for the disease) and fight land pollution. When the ban came into force, Kenya-based marine litter expert Habib El-Habr told The Guardian that if the world continued without doing something about plastic bags “by 2050, we will have more plastic in the ocean than fish.”

Some places impose jail time. According to reports in NYS, Governor Cuomo stressed;

"These bold actions to ban plastic bags and promote recycling will reduce litter in our communities, protect our water, and create a cleaner and greener New York for all."

MORE INFO BELOW:

NEW YORK STATE PLASTIC BAG TASK FORCE REPORT:

Taxes, fines and jail time: The strictest plastic bag laws around the world