Legislator Catherine Parker to Propose Countywide Limits on Plastic Bags, Styrofoam Containers

At a press conference Wednesday afternoon in Mamaroneck, Westchester Legislator Catherine Parker (D-Rye) and several fellow legislators will introduce a bill to limit the use of plastic bags and styrofoam containers throughout the county, legislative officials announced.

Fellow legislators Catherine Borgia (D-Ossining), Maryjane Shimsky (D-Hastings) and Pete Harckham (D-North Salem) are co-sponsoring the bill and are slated to be on-hand Wednesday afternoon. They will be joined by Eastchester/Tuckahoe Girl Scout Cadette Katie Yacoub, who is doing a plastic bag project in Eastchester.

Parker, who chairs the legislature’s Environment & Energy Committee, successfully helped pass a similar bill in Rye when she was a member of the City Council. Her proposed countywide bill is separate but comes on the heels of news that Greenburgh is considering a similar move.

Below is the legislature’s press release about the proposal and Wednesday’s press conference:

Westchester Legislator Catherine Parker (D-Rye) will be announcing the introduction of new bill she has authored at a press conference on WEDNESDAY—November 12 at the Town of Mamaroneck Town Center, 740 West Boston Post Road, Mamaroneck, NY, that will limit use of plastic bags and Styrofoam containers by retail businesses in Westchester County. Plastic bags and Styrofoam containers, both of which are non-biodegradable, are often discarded improperly and end up polluting the environment, clogging sewers and endangering wildlife.

Joining Legislator Parker at the press conference will be a number of environmental advocates and community leaders in support of the new legislation, which is being co-sponsored by Westchester County Board of Legislators (BOL) Majority Leader Catherine Borgia (D-Ossining) and Legislator MaryJane Shimsky (D-Hastings-on-Hudson), chair of the BOL Infrastructure Committee, and Legislator Pete Harckham (D-North Salem).

Also attending the press conference will be thirteen-year-old Katie Yacoub, a Girl Scout Cadette in Troop 2520 from Eastchester / Tuckahoe. She is working on her Girl Scout Silver Award and leading a project to the use of retail bags in Eastchester, NY.

The press conference will begin at 2:30 PM.

While a member of the Rye City Council, Legislator Parker, now chair of the Westchester County Board of Legislators (BOL) Environment & Energy Committee, worked with the local business community to gain support for and pass a City Ordinance that encouraged use of reusable checkout bags and banned use of plastic bags for retail checkout of purchased goods.

WHO: Westchester Legislator Catherine Parker, BOL Colleagues, elected officials
from Westchester municipalities, local business organizations, environmental
advocates and community leaders, plus Girl Scout Cadette Katie Yacoub

WHAT: Press conference announcing new legislation to limit use of plastic bags and
Styrofoam by retail businesses in Westchester

WHEN: Wednesday, November 12 at 2:30 PM

WHERE: Town of Mamaroneck Town Center
740 West Boston Post Road
Mamaroneck, NY