WESTERN NEW YORK – New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) signed legislation banning single-use plastic bags on Monday.
This just hours after Wegmans announced they plan to eliminate single-use plastic grocery bags in New York by the end of 2019, just before a state ban takes effect.
The Rochester, New York-based grocery chain also announced steps to reduce the usage of bags, straws and other plastic items at its stores in other states.
New York will join California and Hawaii when its ban on plastic grocery bags takes effect in March. Under the law, local counties will have the option of imposing a 5-cent fee on paper bags.
He said going without plastic bags will be a “minor inconvenience” compared to the devastating impact of plastic pollution.
It’s estimated that New Yorkers use 23 million plastic bags annually. The ban will take effect in March 2020.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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