Governor Andrew M. Cuomo introduced the “New York State Plastic Bag Waste Reduction Act,” in the 2019/20 State Budget which institutes a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags and empowers counties and cities to impose a $0.05 fee on paper bags.
The adopted New York State legislation institutes a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags, effective March 1, 2020.
It applies to retail outlets required to pay sales tax. There are exemptions for several types of plastic bags: bags used to wrap uncooked meat/fish; bags used to package bulk items like produce and bulk candy; bags that contain food sliced or prepared to order; bags used for newspaper delivery; bags sold in bulk at point of sale; trash bags; food storage bags; garment bags; bags prepackaged for sale to a customer; bags used to carry out or deliver restaurant food; and bags provided by a pharmacy to carry prescription drugs.
The Greene County Legislature has opted NOT TO IMPOSE the optional $0.05 fee on paper bags.
while individual businesses may choose to charge their customers for paper bags, the county will not impose or collect any associated fee.
The New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) issued a white paper titled Plastic Bags: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and More which provides guidance for municipalities on implementation of the New York State Bag Waste Reduction Act (A.2008C/S.1508C, Part H).
