New York City Proposes Plastic Bag Initiative

Description of Problem:

Plastic bags comprise nearly 3% or 5,000 tons weekly of waste collected in New York City. After what is typically a SINGLE use, these bags travel to local landfills and occupy space there for 1000's of years.

Aimed at reducing the amount of plastic bags disposed of in the city's sanitation system, New York City's Plastic Carryout Bag Recycling Law (Local Law 1 of 2008) effective July 23, 2008 requires city stores that provide plastic carryout bags (with the exception of small non-chain stores or restaurants) to accept plastic bags for recycling. The City of New York & Mayor Michael Bloomberg has recently proposed a $.06/bag tax on plastic bags in order to curb plastic bag distribution. A New York Times article from November 18, 2008: Seeing a Pitched Battle Over Plastic Bags describes the downsides of the proposed tax, exploring the sometimes useful nature of the plastic bag and the inconvenience associated with plastic bags. We at ECOBAGS^® agree that the plastic bag does have its place – for carrying certain contaminable materials/foods and disposing of waste. However, our society's plastic bag consumption is far beyond these uses and they are often deposited in landfills after only a single use. An eco-friendly reusable bag would be a far superior substitute for these applications. There are several reasons why reduction of usage is preferable to recycling when it comes to plastic bags:

• Recyclable goods are not always recycled. The percentage of Metal, Glass and Plastic (MGP) collection that is correctlyrecycled in New York City is 57%. That means that a large percentage of plastic bags would still be destined for the landfill.
• Plastic bags cannot be recycled alongside other household recyclables. Residential recycling contains lots of "organic matter" that contaminates plastic bags. If plastic bags are collected for recycling alongside beverage cartons, bottles and cans, the plastic bags are rendered unclean and unrecyclable. Therefore it is preferable to recycle bags in commercial locations as it will ensure that the plastic is segregated and kept clean.
• Due to contaminants and types of plastic resins, the percentage of plastic bags that can be recycled is small. Only about 40% of plastic film (including plastic bags) can be classified as "potentially recyclable." There are 7 Society for Plastics Industries (SPI) plastic resin identification codes which is designated on the plastic by a number surrounded by the chasing arrows symbol. Currently only #1 and #2 plastics are recyclable in New York City. Plastic bags are rarely marked with their resin code and therefore make for more difficult and time-consuming processing.
• The demand for recycled plastic is currently small. Virgin plastic is highly available and less expensive than recycled plastic.

Sources:
New York City Government. NYCWasteLe$$. 19 Nov. 2008 View Source 
Department of Sanitation of New York. 2004-05 NYC Residential and Street Basket Waste Characterization Study. 19 Nov. 2008

Updated: 11/21/08

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