Enforcement of N.Y.’s Plastic Bag Ban Delayed to June 15

new york plastic bags
A man walks with shopping bags on Foster Ave. in Brooklyn. (Hamodia)

Enforcement of New York’s plastic bag ban has once again been delayed, as the state continues to battle the coronavirus pandemic.

The state banned single-use plastic bags on March 1, with enforcement set to start in April and was then pushed off until May 15. But on Thursday, a state Supreme Court order directed the state Department of Environmental Conservation to enforce the ban only after June 15.

“This does not affect the local laws in New York City, Suffolk County and Tompkins County requiring that the 5-cent paper carryout bag reduction fee must be charged on paper carryout bags,” the DEC said.

The ban has been slammed during the coronavirus pandemic as it has been shown that reusable bags may help spread the deadly disease.

Once enforcement does begin, the state will enforce the ban by issuing a warning to retailers who violate the law for the first time. Retailers could eventually face a $250 fine for a subsequent violation, and a $500 fine for violations in the same calendar year.

 

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