Will also call on Albany to amend proposed State Legislation which would weaken City’s Plastic Bag Recycling Law

NEW YORK, NY – Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, together with Sanitation and Solid Waste Committee Chair, Michael McMahon, Environmental Protection Chair Jim Gennaro, Public Safety Chair, Peter F. Vallone Jr., and environmental advocates announced the plastic bag recycling law, passed earlier this year, will go into effect tomorrow.

The law applies to stores in the City that use plastic bags and occupy 5,000 square feet or more or stores which have more than five braches operating throughout the five boroughs. It will also require store operators to provide an easily accessible collection bin for plastic bags in visible locations. In addition, the stores will be required to use plastic bags that display the words “Please return this bag to a participating store for recycling” or a similar message as well as make reusable bags available for purchase. The stores must submit annual reports to the Department of Sanitation on the amount and weight of collected plastic bags.

“Today is a great day for all New Yorkers in taking responsibility for the environment,” said City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn. “As this new law goes into effect, all New Yorkers will be able to do their part in reducing our carbon footprint and in ensuring that our waste is being put to good use. I want to thank my colleagues at the Council, the administration and advocates for their support and for working so hard to make this law a reality. Our efforts will be felt for many generations to come.”

“This is another step in City Council’s continuing effort to recycle as much of the city’s waste stream as possible,” said Council Member Michael McMahon, Chair of Sanitation and Solid Waste Committee. “We know that plastic bags and plastic film that didn’t exist 15 years ago in our waste stream now accounts as much for 4% to 5% of what we dispose of in landfills. This new law will make is easy for New Yorkers to bring their personal excess of plastic bags and plastic film to local supermarkets drugstores or department stores that distribute plastic bags to their consumers. Of course we should try to use reusable bags whenever possible, but now we have an alternative to disposing of the bags in the trash.”
Americans use an estimated 84 billion plastic bags annually, approximately one billion of them right here in New York City. The production of plastic bags worldwide uses over 12 million barrels of oil per year, causing other environmental damage.

“The City Council usually tries to create legislation that will leave its mark on New York City. Today we implement one that helps ensure we do not,” said Council Member Peter F. Vallone Jr., Chair of the Public Safety Committee “This law strikes a balance between conscience and convenience by allowing New Yorkers an outlet they need to protect our environment.”

“Plastic bags clogging our landfill and catch basins are an environmental scourge that only legislation like this can have a real effect upon”, said Councilman James F. Gennaro, Chair of the Environmental Protection Committee.

While Council Members and advocates celebrated the marking of this groundbreaking law going into effect, they also called on Gov. Paterson to amend the proposed State Legislation that would preempt and weaken the City Council’s plastic bag recycling law.

“We thank Speaker Christine Quinn and the New York City Council for advancing the plastic bag recycling law that is about to take effect; it is a good first step in attacking the numerous environmental problems posed by the use and disposal of more than one billion plastic bags
every year in New York City,” said Eric A. Goldstein, New York Urban Program Director at the Natural Resources Defense Council. And, because recently passed state legislation is less stringent than the new city law, we are urging Governor David Paterson to secure legislative agreement that the city’s plastic bag statute will remain in effect, prior to the Governor’s signing the new state legislation,”

“New York State has set a good baseline with its new legislation, especially for communities that are not currently addressing the environmental hazards of plastic bags. However, the state legislation should not tie the hands of communities that want to go above and beyond,” said Marcia Bystryn, president of the New York League of Conservation Voters. “The state should recognize that New York City has a more robust program for recycling plastic bags – a program that enjoys broad, bipartisan support from environmentalists, residents and the business community – and allow it to remain in effect.”

Currently, the State version of the bill would significantly reduce the number of stores in New York City required to recycle plastic carryout bags and do away with the City’s ability to enforce any bag recycling law or ensure that businesses are in compliance.

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