New York Passes A Law Banning Plastic Bags
Quinn: It’s Quinn and Cantara, PYX 106.1 (800)-LAW-1010), 1800law1010.com, Paul Harding, Martin, Harding and Mazzotti on the phone.
Cantara: Morning, Paul.
Paul: Good morning guys, good morning.
Cantara: Glad to have you on. I’d like to talk about something that I think’s going to effect us all and that’s the plastic bag ban that’s going through. When does this take effect, Paul, and what do I do with my current plastic bags?
Quinn: Yeah. I gotta bag full of bags at the house.
Paul: Yeah: Yeah. You could keep them. They’re good for lots of things. I used one just yesterday. We have a new puppy, so I’ll let you fill in the blank on what I might’ve used that for.
Quinn: But, that’s the question, Paul. I use it for that too, but then I end up throwing it away. What do I do with the bag?
Paul: Right. So, at this point we’ve got until March of next year before we kinda see this legislation come in. But, the single use bag. So, There are exceptions to this now. They talked about delay meat, they talked about garbage bags, they talked about restaurant take-out, real practical things where you’d need these plastic bags so you don’t end up ruining the products so to speak. But what what you’re gonna be doing at the grocery stores is you’re either gonna be bringing your own reusable bag, or you’re gonna pay, at this point the counties can opt in and it looks like most will, the $.05 per bag for a paper bag.
Quinn: Eventually they’re not gonna even give you the offer for a bag, right?
Paul: You know, here’s the thing. Someone says they’re gonna go to the store and by 2, or 3, or 4, or 10 things, and they decide they’re really just gonna go to town. So, how many bags do you bring each time you go if you’re gonna be bringing your own reusable totes. So there’s a practicality to that that’s just sort of is missed a little bit. And then secondly, what’s really gonna happen is everyone’s gonna just get charged five additional cents for the paper bags because ultimately we’re not gonna want our cars stacked up with bags. And most people unless their super conscious, and I hope lots of folks are, are just not gonna be that practical.
Cantara: I gotta be honest with you. In both of the vehicles that we own there are cloth bags, so we’re pretty use to it. This sounds like it’s targeted mainly to grocery stores, so what about the newspaper that’s in my driveway in a plastic bag? Is the newspaper industry gonna be effected?
Paul: Yeah. So they did not talk about that, but that seems to fall closer into the category of something that protects something in plastic, you know. And so I believe that the newspaper, or unless there’s some other way they can keep it dry before it reaches you, didn’t specifically have that exception, but it seems to be that momentum.
Quinn: What about the poor family that’s in charge of making all those bags?
Cantara: The mom and pop bag shop.
Quinn: They make all the zippers and paper…yeah, they make all the zippers and paper clips we use too.
Paul: Yeah. They’re gonna have to change their business model quickly because it’s gonna dry up.
Quinn: They’ll be all right.
Cantara: I do know that there was a ban very similar to this in York, Maine where my friend runs a business, and he was pretty upset about it because he runs a popcorn business. And how is he gonna do it? So, I’m glad there are exceptions to the rule. But lookit, they found a plastic bag in the deepest part of the ocean, so we have to do a better job somehow, you know?
Paul: Yeah. Ultimately, it’s good. It’s gonna take just a little adjustment, and they’re gonna have to find a way to reduce the cost of these reusable bags. So when you’re there and you need two or three more, you don’t feel like it’s a 70 or 80 cent commitment. That probably is the next step here…
Quinn: Give me five cents for my hemp bag then instead of charging me five cents for the plastic bag.
Paul: Right.
Cantara: All right, Paul, we appreciate it. So, March of next year. We got time to drag our feet.
Quinn: Oh, no. It’s coming so fast.
Cantara: A whole year of complaining and moaning about the plastic bag…
Quinn: That’s a lotta dead turtles.
Cantara: Paul Harding from Martin, Harding and Mazzotti: 1 (800)-LAW-1010, and 1800law1010.com.
Quinn: See ya, Paul.
Cantara: Thanks, Paul.
Paul: See you guys.
Man: Quinn and…