In a bid to make progress on environmental issues, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Sunday that he will include both a ban on single-use plastic bags in his 2019 executive budget and legislation that will make most non-alcoholic drink bottles eligible for a redemption of five cents, The Hill has reported.
"While the federal government is taking our environmental progress backwards and selling out our communities to polluters and oil companies, in New York we are moving forward with the nation's strongest environmental policies and doing everything in our power to protect our natural resources for future generations," Cuomo said in a statement. "These bold actions to ban plastic bags and promote recycling will reduce litter in our communities, protect our water and create a cleaner and greener New York for all."
The governor said that New Yorkers use billions of plastic bags annually which do not biodegrade, according to WABC.
He stressed that the ban will help reduce the greenhouse gas emissions connected to the production and disposal of plastic bags, including from the petroleum used in order to produce them and emissions from the transportation of the bags to landfills.
Cuomo’ statement added that his administration will work to make sure that the ban "does not disproportionately impact low and moderate income and environmental justice communities."
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.