A Greener New York: The Push to Bag the Plastic Returns

February 18, 2014
  Bags
Since New York City is getting a weekly dose of snow this winter, the look on the streets is decidedly white. However, a hint of greener things to come is popping up in the City Council with a bill that place fees on plastic bags returns. Though you can find stores with wholesale reusable shopping bags at most counters in New York, a statewide bill making it mandatory to charge for single-use bags would force big changes in the Big Apple. As it stands, New York wastes plastic bags on a scale that’s appropriate for the largest, most visited city in the United States. Most experts say about 5 billion bags are used in New York City every year. Only a tiny percentage of those bags are recycled, so that leaves the local environment with a heavy burden of plastic. While the snow covering New York can’t stop the plastic bags from tumbling through the streets and sticking in tree branches; a change in policy at the checkout counters might. Popular stores both big and small have been offering reusable bags for shoppers for years; any trip to Urban Outfitters or Whole Foods in New York will give shoppers a look at the best reusable shopping bags on the market. While it may be the quality of the food and clothing above all, these stores that have gone green do tremendous business in New York when compared to their competitors. In fact, many New York businesses are acting without any legal obligation: they are getting wholesale reusable shopping bags with their name and logo on them and reaping the benefits. A clear advantage with reusable shopping bag is the notoriety a company will get. New Yorkers carry all sorts of things in their green bags as they walk from place to place in the Big Apple, and businesses with reusable shopping bags out there get those miles of exposure for free. Is New York the next big city to join the confrontation on single-use bag waste? Let’s hope so. It would be a huge moment for anyone who cares about the environment. For more information about our premium eco-friendly reusable shopping bags or for a quote please visit www.holdenbags.com or contact us at 800.255.0885