plastic bags

On Oct. 19, more than seven months after the law took effect, New York State’s environmental agency will begin enforcing a ban on single use plastic bags at grocery stores and other retailers.

New York state will begin enforcing its ban on single-use carry-out plastic bags next month after a brief hiatus of the law due to a legal challenge brought earlier this year, when those bags were temporarily allowed to be used by stores without any repercussions.

New York's never-enforced ban on single-use plastic bags has survived a lawsuit lodged by a plastic bag manufacturer and convenience store owners, but a state judge ruled Thursday that state regulators went too far by allowing stores to hand out thicker plastic bags one day.

Keeping plastic bags out of landfills and the environment is the goal of New York State’s ban of the bags in grocery stores, but Foodlink’s CEO Julia Tedesco said there could be other consequences.

Some convenience store owners in New York State are worried about the new plastic bag ban going into effect this weekend. Their concerns are over the possible cost increase and limited availability of paper bags, as stores make the switch.

Ottawa says it is moving forward with a ban on single-use plastics across Canada, but the legislation won’t likely come into force until 2021.

Wegmans is getting a jump on New York state's new law banning retailers from using single-use plastic bags.

Starting Monday, single-use plastic bags won't be available at area Wegmans stores. The grocery chain is getting an early start on the state-wide ban, which begins in March.

People have been talking about plastic bags a lot lately. The single-use plastic bag, ubiquitous at most supermarkets, is the favorite culprit in the campaign against plastic pollution. Banning really should not be that difficult, but it also depends on the willingness of packaging companies, retailers and consumers to adapt.

Wegmans has some concerns about Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposal this week to ban single-use plastic bags.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed a bill to ban plastic grocery bags in New York, but not everyone is praising him for it.

It’s not just consumers. Recycling plastic bags for many retailers has proven difficult. To help with this problem, the New York Plastic Bag Task Force has identified eight possible solutions and sent the report to Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature for consideration.

A unique educational campaign has been launched that blends science and creativity to red-flag the dangers of plastic pollution.

Your trips to the supermarket could be impacting the water you drink. That’s one reason why Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz is proposing a ban on plastic bags at all stores in the county.