Plastic Bag Ban Enforcement Starts Oct. 19 In NYC

NEW YORK CITY — Start toting your own bags, if you aren't already, New Yorkers.

Enforcement of New York's plastic bag ban begins Oct. 19.

The off-again, on-again ban originally barred stores from using plastic bags after March 1 and charged consumers 5 cents for every paper bag used. But New York City dwellers likely didn't see many stores stick with the ban for long.

The coronavirus pandemic and a lawsuit by plastic bag manufacturers halted enforcement. It took a court decision for the Department of Environmental Conservation to announce in September that the ban will take effect again.

DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said in a statement that the court's decision vindicated the state's fight against the "scourge" of single-use plastic bags.

"As we have for many months, DEC is encouraging New Yorkers to make the switch to reusable bags whenever and wherever they shop and to use common-sense precautions to keep reusable bags clean," he said. "The Court has ruled and DEC will begin to enforce the ban on October 19th. It's time to BYOBagNY."