More On Plastic Bag Recycling
This Time With A Win!
I kid you not, just this morning here at the CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities, we found ourselves saying, “What do we do with all our bags? Does anyone recycle them?” Response: “Jersey does.”
And just an hour later, we could say “NYC does.” While we generally do use canvas bags to transport groceries and other goods, somehow we still had an anxiety causing bundle of plastic ones.
We are on the road to recovery.
Last time we spoke of the potential opportunity to recycle them, it was after Christine C. Quinn, New York City Council Speaker announced legislation to set up plastic bag recycling centers in NYC super markets. A few short months later, despite the fear that this legislation would be a “political football,” it has passed. Businesses of over 5,000 square feet or chains with more than 5 locations in the city must now create receptacles for plastic bag recycling. The legislation will begin to take effect 6 months after Mayor Bloomberg signs it.
This is definitely a move in the right direction, acknowledging that these appearingly infinite bags can create some challenges. Now we just need to work on using less of them.
