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Mixed response in NY to plastic bag ban

Posted at 9:23 PM, Mar 02, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-02 23:23:02-05

The statewide ban on single-use plastic bags kicked off in New York on Sunday and while some are happy about the state's concern for the environment, others want their bags back.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation to ban single-use plastic bags in April of 2019. Stores will not be allowed to give out single-use bags. Cities and counties can adopt 5 cent fees for paper bags.

Shopper Mario Antkiewizz is happy with the ban.

"This is better, more convenient," Antkiewizz said. "Plastic bags was a mess.

But some New York City shoppers are upset that they'll now have to pay up for paper bags if they forget to bring reusable ones.

Small business owners have also said the ban will hurt their bottom line.

Some plastic bags, including ones used to carry prescription bags and produce bags for bulk items, are exempt. A full list of exempt bags is available here .

There is a grace period, but after it ends, there will be fines.

This article was written by Cristian Benavides for WPIX .