Some Suffolk County shoppers were outraged when a 5-cent fee on single-use plastic and paper bags went into effect in January 2018 but officials said the law is working as intended.
Not only were 1.1 billion fewer plastic bags used in the county last year, but the number of bags found polluting shorelines fell steeply compared with 2017, according to a report on the law’s progress that was released Thursday.
“So just think about that and what a difference it makes,” Legis. William Spencer (D-Centerport), who sponsored the bill, said Thursday.
Spencer and other government officials, environmental advocates, and retail and education representatives attended a news conference at the legislature building in Hauppauge to present the report.
On Jan. 1,...| read more ››