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Wednesday What The What: The Plastic Bag Ban


by on Jun 13th, 2012

Los Angeles, New York’s smoggier and smuggier cousin has done the unthinkable: They’ve banned the single-use plastic bag.

Although plastic bags were only introduced to supermarkets in the late 70’s (I know, right, it feels like they have been around forever), they quickly became a ubiquitous part of daily life.

Unfortunately, because of their ever-gaining popularity, they also became an environmental hazard. Scientists estimate that more than 315 billion pounds of plastic are in the oceans right now. Not to mention the countless plastic bags flying around Bensonhurst like flockless plastic pigeons.

In a surprising move, the city of Los Angeles outlawed the polyethylene bag, joining San Jose, Long Beach, Malibu and Berkeley.

There were rumblings here and there about a New York plastic bag tax or ban, but thus far, nothing has taken root. If L.A.’s bag ban influences New York politics, get used to hearing “paper or paper” at the checkout line.

Do you think plastic bags should be banned in New York City?

“What the What?” is a new photo feature looking at odd, weird and interesting things in the neighborhood. If you have photos of what the what happenings in Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, Dyker Heights or the surrounding areas send them to lvladimirova [at] bensonhurstbean [dot] com.

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  • nolastname

    I was thinking (seriously) of taping a plastic bag as it traveled from Avenue U past my house all the way to Sheepshead Bay where it ended up going out to sea.
    A lot of the garbage flying around comes from open canisters and over full trash cans on the avenues.
    If all stores charged for plastic as Basic does more people would buy into reusable bags.
    Drop the price of oil!

  • Matthijs van Guilder

    The superlightweight, reusable bags that are given out free as promotions by so many sources are very easy to roll up with a rubberband and stuff in in any jacket pocket or bottom of a woman’s handbag, or stick in a glove compartment or anywhere, that there is little real need to be so dependent on store plastics.

  • martin hopkins

    I grew up with paper bags and then all the tree huggers complained and then we went to plastic, you can’t have it both ways, people.

  • Elias Friedman

    I reuse them as trash bags in my apartment, they fit into the chute perfectly! As for plastic litter, it seems to me that the amount of it exploded after recycling came into vogue and such things started to be kept in wind-vulnerable open recycling containers.