Last week, New York followed California by becoming the second state in the country to ban single-use plastic bags. The prohibition, which was included in the state budget, has been hailed by politicians and environmentalists alike as a major victory for our neighborhoods, parks and waterways that are increasingly besieged by plastic pollution.
But ironically, unless the New York City Council and other local governments take further action by also discouraging the use of paper bags, the state policy could end up doing more harm than good.
By: Sara Savarani and Danielle Spiegel-Feld