Buricelli, Lucia. “New Yorkers Say They Want to Save the Environment (but They Also Love Their Plastic Bags).” The New York Times, 31 Mar. 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/31/nyregion/plastic-bag-ban-new-york.html. Accessed 31 Mar. 2019.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/31/nyregion/plastic-bag-ban-new-york.html
The New York Times
Overview:
-new state-wide ban implemented in next year’s $175 billion budget
-begins as early as next March
-proposed by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
-affects all New York residents
-implemented to reduce single-use plastic and promote environmental sustainability
-New York follows California and Hawaii in implementing plastic bag bans
-exceptions to the ban: wrapped deli meat, restaurant takeout bags, plastic trash bags
-stores may charge a 5-cent fee for paper bags
-alternative approach of 5-cent charge for plastic bags on Long Island in 2018 reduced their use by 80%, but the state decided on an outright ban
Impacts (Positive and Negative):
-several concerns from low-income residents about the change; no longer a free bag option in stores
-critique of politicians making the change without considering potential impacts for low-income residents
-cultural change for chinatown: “plastic bags are almost iconic” there
-critique of inconvenience; remembering reusable bags takes effort and prior planning
-increases economic opportunity for online retailers like Amazon and FreshDirect
-long term environmental benefits for future New York residents
-this trend may continue in other states!
Course Relevance:
-plastics are derived from fossil fuels, a nonrenewable resource
-fossil fuels release greenhouse gases and contribute to anthropogenic climate change
-plastic bags cannot be recycled because they clog recycling machinery
-plastic bags don’t easily breakdown and thus contribute to pollution
-plastic entering the ocean is ingested by marine life, which can kill them
-toxic chemicals found in plastics, such as BPA, have negative impacts on human health
Questions:
-why not restaurant takeout bags as well?
-why isn’t there a free alternative available that keeps low-income populations in mind?