Assemblyman Dinowitz Gives Away Free Tote Bags Following Plastic Bag Ban
Following New York State’s ban on plastic bags, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz gave away reusable canvas tote bags around the Northwest Bronx in conjunction with Citizens Committee for New York City.
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz with a neighborhood resident excited to get a free reusable canvas bag from Citizens Committee of New York City along Johnson Avenue.
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz gives out reusable canvas bags to a local family along Johnson Avenue, courtesy of Citizens Committee of New York City.
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz is helped by his grandson as they distribute reusable canvas bags from Citizens Committee of New York City to seniors at Riverdale Senior Services.
Bronx, NY – Starting in March 2020, New Yorkers will no longer be able to get single-use plastic bags when they go to their local grocery store or other retailer. To help residents of the Northwest Bronx prepare for this change, Assemblyman Dinowitz spent Earth Week distributing reusable tote bags provided by Citizens Committee for New York City. While not everybody is thrilled about the change, most people acknowledge the tremendous negative impact that plastic bags have on the environment. New York State is the second state in the United States to ban single-use plastic bags statewide, following the lead of California, who implemented their ban in 2016.
In addition to a ban on single-use plastic bags, New York State also approved a local option for five-cent fees on paper carryout bags where 40% of the revenue collected going back to municipalities to help distribute reusable bags and 60% going toward the Environmental Protection Fund. The City Council would have to approve the implementation of this paper bag fee in New York City, which they did last week. Low-income New Yorkers who qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) will be exempt from the paper bag surcharge.
Plastic pollution has increasingly become an environmental hazard over the past several decades, with New Yorkers alone now using approximately 23 billion plastic bags per year according to Governor Andrew Cuomo. It is estimated that up to 50% of those bags ultimately end up as litter, oftentimes getting caught in tree branches or washing into area waterways.
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (D - Northwest Bronx) said: “Bronxites are all-to-familiar with the sight of a shredded plastic bag clinging desperately to a tree limb, fluttering in the wind before it will eventually get washed into a storm drain and out into the river. I am glad to see these single-use plastic bags banned, and although some folks might be unhappy about having to change some of their habits I believe this is a good policy for our environment. Thank you to Citizens Committee for providing free reusable bags for our community, which will certainly make this transition a little bit easier.”