Five years after New York banned single-use plastic bags, they remain a common sight, with inconsistent enforcement and exemptions allowing many to stay in circulation.
Danielle Kaye reports for The New York Times.
In short:
- New York’s 2020 plastic bag ban aimed to reduce waste and emissions, but enforcement has been inconsistent, and many retailers still distribute them.
- A study found plastic shopping bags in New York City’s waste stream dropped 68% from 2017 to 2023, but lackluster enforcement has allowed some businesses to continue using them.
- Exemptions for certain uses, such as bulk food packaging and restaurant takeout, have also contributed to their continued presence.
Key quote:
“If we can’t cut down on throwaway plastic bags, how will we ever tackle the bigger issues of reducing fossil fuel emissions?”
— Eric A. Goldstein, senior lawyer at the Natural Resources Defense Council
Why this matters:
Plastic bags remain one of the most persistent symbols of modern pollution, littering city streets, choking waterways, and piling up in landfills where they take hundreds of years to break down. Even as many places attempt to curb their use, the sheer ubiquity of plastic bags — and their convenience — makes them a stubborn challenge for policymakers and environmental advocates alike.
New York’s experience with its plastic bag ban is a case study in the broader struggle to rein in plastic waste. Beyond their visible impact on streets and waterways, plastic bags pose an insidious environmental threat. As they degrade — over centuries — they break into microplastics that seep into soil and water, entering the food chain and human bodies.
Related: Pete Myers: Peering into the Plasticene, our future of plastic and plastic waste.
