July 18 - Mamaroneck Village, NY Says Good Riddance to Plastic Bags
Mamaroneck, a village a little south of the Connecticut-New York border, unanimously passed a ban on plastic bags for retail stores on July 16th. Stores such as grocery and convenient stores, farmers markets, and restaurants will be required to use either reusable or recyclable paper bags. The requirements for paper bags include
1.) being 100% recyclable
2.) minimum of 40% post-consumer recycled content
3.) the outside of the bag must be labeled with the words "recyclable" and "reusable"
Village Board members cited blocked waterways and clogged sewers as their main justification for doing away with the bags. The village also lies next to the Long Island Sound estuary so removing plastic bags from stores was an excellent way to reduce marine and beach pollution. The ban will go into effect in 6 months.
Mamaroneck is now the fourth community in the State of New York to adopt a plastic bag ban along with East Hampton, Southampton, and Rye.
Current laws on plastic bags across America