Dear John,

Over 7 years ago, we began our campaign to get rid of the plastic bags that clog our storm drains, catch on our trees, and litter our streets and oceans. We joined with students, seniors, surfers, public housing residents, and environmental activists to do something about the 10 billion plastic bags NYC residents throw away each year.

It took some unusual twists and turns. We built an amazing coalition to win one of the closest votes in City Council history in 2016, but then the State Legislature shot down our first two attempts in 2016 and 2017. Democrats had to win a majority in the State Senate. We had to pass three separate bills in the City Council. And I even had to dress up as a plastic bag monster for Halloween.

But we persevered. Now, as New York State gears up to implement a statewide plastic bag ban next month, we will finally begin to turn the tide on the mountains of plastic bags that are polluting our planet.

Starting on March 1st, supermarkets and stores around New York State will no longer give out plastic bags.

And here in New York City, stores will be required to charge a 5-cent fee for paper bags, as an incentive for all of us to bring reusable bags. Three cents of the fee will go to the NYS Environmental Protection Fund, and 2 cents will go to the City for the purchase of reusable bags.

But the goal is not to collect a single nickel: it’s to meaningfully reduce bag waste (since even paper bags mostly wind up in landfills after one use). In cities, states, and countries around the world, a small fee on any single-use bag has helped the vast majority of shoppers, across lines of income, race, age, and family size, to shift to reusable bags.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be giving out thousands of free reusable bags around the district. Next Saturday, 2/8 we will be in Kensington Plaza (Church and Beverley Road) from 11 to 1 PM. Stay tuned for other pop up giveaway events in the next few weeks. And you can stop by my office (456 5th Avenue, 3rd Floor) during business hours to pick up a bag or two.

If you want a bag giveaway to come to your neighborhood, reply and let us know and we will try to make it happen.

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It took an enormous coalition to make this happen, but I want to especially thank Council Member Margaret Chin (my partner in the Council), State Senator Liz Krueger, Jennie Romer, Eric Goldstein, Judith Enck, and an amazing coalition including the New York League of Conservation Voters, NRDC, the NYC Environmental Justice Alliance, Cafeteria Culture (organizing some of the most adorable & effective elementary school activists), Citizens Committee for NYC, and Citizens Committee for the Environment. Thanks to all of you who helped make this happen.

Will you help me keep going in the fight to choose our planet over plastic? Please contribute today [[link removed]] to support my work to reduce waste and ensure a more sustainable NYC. With your help, there’s so much more we must do.

Getting rid of plastic bags is not enough, of course, to combat climate change. But plastic is a petroleum product which require extracting fossil fuels, and the staggering volume of microplastics in our oceans is truly creating a crisis for marine life.

We must change our habits, and this is one good, necessary, and long overdue step. (And hopefully it will help us take the next one without pre-emption in Albany or resorting to monster costumes).

Brad

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Lander for NYC
456 Fifth Avenue, 3rd Floor, Suite 2
Brooklyn, NY 11215
[email protected]

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