Add a Plastic Bag Fee, New York City

The New York City Council is currently considering legislation to add a ten cent fee to all customers who take plastic and paper bags at grocery stores. Similar actions have been adopted in other large U.S. cities like Los Angeles, Seattle, and Dallas.

Currently, NYC throws out 5.2 billion single-use plastic bags each year. We encourage the New York City Council to vote to approve the plan to add a fee. Though it may be a mild inconvenience for shoppers in the short term, in the long term the proposal would encourage better habits and help save the environment.