Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2020 16:38:19 GMT -5
NY says Wegmans, others must allow old plastic bags in stores for reuse
Updated Jan 31, 12:54 PM; Posted Jan 31, 10:21 AM
Syracuse, N.Y. — Stores must allow shoppers to bring in their old, saved plastic bags for use at checkout after the state’s plastic bag ban goes into effect.
The question of whether that would be allowed under the new law was one of the most frequent we heard when we asked you for your questions on the bag ban. The state Department of Environmental Conservation weighed in on the topic in a statement on Thursday.
The ban, known officially as the Bag Waste Reduction Act, says stores are not allowed to prevent anyone from using a bag of any kind that they bring in to carry away goods, according to the DEC.
Big grocery chains were split on the question before the DEC addressed it.
Tops said previously its stores would allow it. Wegmans said it was making changes to bag stands and wouldn't be able to accommodate any plastic bags.
Wegmans eliminated plastic bags at checkout on Monday in advance of the statewide ban, which goes into effect March 1.
Wegmans now says shoppers can bring in old plastic bags and use them at checkout.
"As we strive to eliminate single-use bags, we encourage customers to use reusable bags," Wegmans spokeswoman Evelyn Ingram said in a statement. "However, we will continue to help our customers with alternative bagging requests."
Price Chopper said it wanted to hear from the state on whether the practice was allowable before making a decision. Now that the DEC has spoken, the chain will allow old plastic bags in stores for reuse, said Mona Golub, vice president of public relations and consumer services at the company.
All three chains have been encouraging shoppers to switch to reusable bags.
Price Chopper and Tops plan to eliminate plastic bags on March 1. Both chains will also start charging a 5-cent fee for paper bags when the ban takes effect.
Wegmans implemented a 5-cent for paper when it eliminated plastic bags on Monday.
Dog poop, tiny trash cans, more: Questions answered on NY’s plastic bag ban
Updated Jan 16, 2020; Posted Jan 16, 2020
There’s one thing that seems to be on the minds of Central New Yorkers more than almost anything else when it comes to New York’s plastic bag ban.
Dog poop.
Numerous readers sent emails and tweets on that topic after we asked you for your questions about the state’s bag ban, which takes effect March 1. It seems a lot of you use the plastic bags you get from grocery stores to clean up after your beloved animal friends and you’re wondering what to do.
Some of your questions can be answered right away based on what we already know about the ban. The Department of Environmental Conservation website has a bunch of information available.
Some other, more complicated questions will take a bit of research and we'll address those in a future post.
Let's get these out of the way first.
What to do about poop? Those of you who save plastic grocery bags and use them to clean up after your dogs and cats will have to find another solution at some point. The giant hoard of bags under your sink isn’t going to last forever.
Fortunately, this is a pretty easy problem to overcome. There are plenty of disposable pet waste bags for sale online and in stores. Do a quick search on Amazon or visit a local pet store and you'll find options, including some that say they're biodegradable.
So those bags aren’t banned? Nope. The ban includes a bunch of exemptions, including one for prepackaged bags sold to consumers in bulk, according to the DEC.
What about my little bathroom trash can? Again, there are plenty of garbage bags made just for small trash cans available online and elsewhere. Those would certainly be covered by the bulk bag exemption, but the ban also includes another exemption specifically for trash bags.
So this whole thing is going to cost me money? Probably. That said, the plastic shopping bags you get from the grocery store aren’t going away entirely, so there will still be opportunities to save and reuse them. Restaurants will still be allowed to give plastic bags for takeout orders and delivery, for example.
I’m just supposed to buy more bags? That doesn’t seem very eco-friendly, does it? If you’re worried about waste, there are pet waste bags and even plastic shopping bags available on Amazon that advertise themselves as biodegradable and/or compostable.
The catch? They’re often more expensive than traditional plastic bags. For example, a pack of 350 regular plastic shopping bags goes for $14.99 on Amazon while a pack of just 100 biodegradable bags costs $13.95.
OK, what about veggies and meat? Bags used by customers at stores to package bulk items, including fruits, vegetables, grains, candy and really any other bulk item are exempt from the ban. Apparently, that even includes bags for things like live crickets to feed to your pet bearded dragon. Stores will also still be able to give out plastic bags for uncooked meat, seafood, poultry, flowers, plants and for food sliced or prepared to order.
Does this apply to other stores too? Yes. Although much of the attention surrounding the ban has focused on grocery stores, it applies to any business or other entity required to collect state sales taxes, the DEC said. So retailers like Kohl’s and Old Navy and small businesses are affected too.
Will I still be able to recycle my old plastic bags? Yes. Any stores required by state law to accept plastic bags for recycling now must continue to do so, even after the bag ban goes into effect, according to the DEC.
www.syracuse.com/state/2020/01/dog-poop-tiny-trash-cans-more-questions-answered-on-nys-plastic-bag-ban.html
Be cheaper to get rid of the dog!
Bag Waste Reduction Law: Information for Consumers
www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/50034.html
Updated Jan 31, 12:54 PM; Posted Jan 31, 10:21 AM
Syracuse, N.Y. — Stores must allow shoppers to bring in their old, saved plastic bags for use at checkout after the state’s plastic bag ban goes into effect.
The question of whether that would be allowed under the new law was one of the most frequent we heard when we asked you for your questions on the bag ban. The state Department of Environmental Conservation weighed in on the topic in a statement on Thursday.
The ban, known officially as the Bag Waste Reduction Act, says stores are not allowed to prevent anyone from using a bag of any kind that they bring in to carry away goods, according to the DEC.
Big grocery chains were split on the question before the DEC addressed it.
Tops said previously its stores would allow it. Wegmans said it was making changes to bag stands and wouldn't be able to accommodate any plastic bags.
Wegmans eliminated plastic bags at checkout on Monday in advance of the statewide ban, which goes into effect March 1.
Wegmans now says shoppers can bring in old plastic bags and use them at checkout.
"As we strive to eliminate single-use bags, we encourage customers to use reusable bags," Wegmans spokeswoman Evelyn Ingram said in a statement. "However, we will continue to help our customers with alternative bagging requests."
Price Chopper said it wanted to hear from the state on whether the practice was allowable before making a decision. Now that the DEC has spoken, the chain will allow old plastic bags in stores for reuse, said Mona Golub, vice president of public relations and consumer services at the company.
All three chains have been encouraging shoppers to switch to reusable bags.
Price Chopper and Tops plan to eliminate plastic bags on March 1. Both chains will also start charging a 5-cent fee for paper bags when the ban takes effect.
Wegmans implemented a 5-cent for paper when it eliminated plastic bags on Monday.
Dog poop, tiny trash cans, more: Questions answered on NY’s plastic bag ban
Updated Jan 16, 2020; Posted Jan 16, 2020
There’s one thing that seems to be on the minds of Central New Yorkers more than almost anything else when it comes to New York’s plastic bag ban.
Dog poop.
Numerous readers sent emails and tweets on that topic after we asked you for your questions about the state’s bag ban, which takes effect March 1. It seems a lot of you use the plastic bags you get from grocery stores to clean up after your beloved animal friends and you’re wondering what to do.
Some of your questions can be answered right away based on what we already know about the ban. The Department of Environmental Conservation website has a bunch of information available.
Some other, more complicated questions will take a bit of research and we'll address those in a future post.
Let's get these out of the way first.
What to do about poop? Those of you who save plastic grocery bags and use them to clean up after your dogs and cats will have to find another solution at some point. The giant hoard of bags under your sink isn’t going to last forever.
Fortunately, this is a pretty easy problem to overcome. There are plenty of disposable pet waste bags for sale online and in stores. Do a quick search on Amazon or visit a local pet store and you'll find options, including some that say they're biodegradable.
So those bags aren’t banned? Nope. The ban includes a bunch of exemptions, including one for prepackaged bags sold to consumers in bulk, according to the DEC.
What about my little bathroom trash can? Again, there are plenty of garbage bags made just for small trash cans available online and elsewhere. Those would certainly be covered by the bulk bag exemption, but the ban also includes another exemption specifically for trash bags.
So this whole thing is going to cost me money? Probably. That said, the plastic shopping bags you get from the grocery store aren’t going away entirely, so there will still be opportunities to save and reuse them. Restaurants will still be allowed to give plastic bags for takeout orders and delivery, for example.
I’m just supposed to buy more bags? That doesn’t seem very eco-friendly, does it? If you’re worried about waste, there are pet waste bags and even plastic shopping bags available on Amazon that advertise themselves as biodegradable and/or compostable.
The catch? They’re often more expensive than traditional plastic bags. For example, a pack of 350 regular plastic shopping bags goes for $14.99 on Amazon while a pack of just 100 biodegradable bags costs $13.95.
OK, what about veggies and meat? Bags used by customers at stores to package bulk items, including fruits, vegetables, grains, candy and really any other bulk item are exempt from the ban. Apparently, that even includes bags for things like live crickets to feed to your pet bearded dragon. Stores will also still be able to give out plastic bags for uncooked meat, seafood, poultry, flowers, plants and for food sliced or prepared to order.
Does this apply to other stores too? Yes. Although much of the attention surrounding the ban has focused on grocery stores, it applies to any business or other entity required to collect state sales taxes, the DEC said. So retailers like Kohl’s and Old Navy and small businesses are affected too.
Will I still be able to recycle my old plastic bags? Yes. Any stores required by state law to accept plastic bags for recycling now must continue to do so, even after the bag ban goes into effect, according to the DEC.
www.syracuse.com/state/2020/01/dog-poop-tiny-trash-cans-more-questions-answered-on-nys-plastic-bag-ban.html
Be cheaper to get rid of the dog!
Bag Waste Reduction Law: Information for Consumers
www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/50034.html
