The Push to Control Plastic Waste in New York: What to Know
The New York Times
As plastic continues to fill landfills and oceans, city and state leaders are backing state legislation to curb it.
In 2020, the plastic supermarket bag was banned in New York. It is a member of the single-use-plastic family — items that release greenhouse gases when manufactured and, once used, can take years to break down in landfills.
Many more single-use plastic products could go the way of the supermarket bag should state lawmakers approve the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act in early June.
Read on to find out more.
What are single-use plastics?
They are items like wrappers, packaging and food containers that are used once and then discarded. They are mostly made from fossil fuel–based chemicals.
Why not just recycle them?
