Ban on single-use plastic bags eyed

TROY, N.Y. » Members of the Rensselaer County Legislature’s Democratic Minority Group said they are submitting a resolution urging the New York State Legislature to ban single-use plastic bags.

According to a news release from the Democratic legislators, people in the United States of America use nearly 100 billion bags a year; New York State alone uses 23 billion.

“The high consumption of plastic bags within New York is having a tremendous cost on our environment as well as our health. Plastic bags never breakdown, they only break into smaller pieces that contain toxic chemicals,” said Minority Leader Peter Grimm in the release.

“We are putting future generations at risk with our current production and consumption of plastic bags,” added Deputy Minority Leader Cindy Doran. “A statewide ban on single-use plastic bags will greatly decrease our usage of plastic that ultimately would have positive effects on the environment and public health.”

The Democratic legislators said that the public is urged to attend the public forum Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the legislative chambers, where they may voice their opinion on this and any other issues they may be concerned about.

The resolution could then be voted on at the legislature’s next monthly meeting on Aug. 14.