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New York's statewide ban on single-use plastic shopping bags, with noted loopholes for sliced foods and thick bags.
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On March 1st, New York will join Hawaii and California in enacting a statewide ban on single-use plastic shopping bags. A study conducted by the Empire State found that in NYC alone, every week, 1,700 tons of residential trash is composed of single-use, carryout bags.
The new regulations around the bags, however, carve out some significant loopholes; sliced and prepared foods are exempt, and shops are allowed to distribute bags with a thickness of over ten mils. The bagless policy is a step in the right direction for NYC to eliminate single use plastics, however, with this new policy obvious issues arise for shoppers and markets.