Apr. 21, 2008

In his latest effort to make Westchester even “greener,” County Executive Andy Spano signed a law requiring retailers that distribute plastic bags to their customers to have an in-store collecting and recycling program.

The legislation, which was passed by the Board of Legislators, requires stores of 10,000 square feet or more that provide plastic bags to establish an in-store recycling program. Receptacles will have to be placed at or near the entrance to the store and the retailer is responsible for collecting, transporting and recycling all the bags dropped off by their customers.

“Unfortunately plastic bags have almost become a way of life for most of us and the evidence is everywhere – clinging to trees and power lines, clogging storm drains, and filling up landfills,” Spano said. “Many people probably don’t realize that plastic bags are almost entirely recyclable. The process isn’t complicated or expensive. We just need to initiate a structure and a plan that will be easy for people to follow.”

A number of retailers, primarily supermarkets, already have voluntary programs to collect and recycle bags. Spano noted that the average life of a plastic bag is 20 minutes and plastic bag litter has reached “mammoth proportions.” In his letter to the board, he cited a New York Times article that noted that 500 billion to a trillion plastic bags are used around the world each year. Retail checkout counters in the U.S. alone account for about 20 percent of that, and statistics show that only 5.2 percent of the bags were recycled in 2005.

Plastic bags are damaging to the environment for several reasons. They are made from polyethylene, a petroleum product, which may take as long as 500 years to degrade. In addition, as they decompose, they break down into smaller and smaller toxic bits that contaminate soil and waterways. The bags also catch on power lines, float on oceans and lakes, clog storm drains, and kill wildlife that may ingest or get entangled in them. According to Spano, one solution to reduce the environmental problems is to encourage recycling, especially since the bags are almost entirely recyclable.

Indeed, recycling is a growing industry across the U.S. and millions of pounds are recycled each year into durable outdoor decking and low-maintenance fencing. The county intends to lead by example and will encourage recycling of bags by offering consumers the opportunity to bring them to Household Chemical Cleanup Days – soon to be called “Household Recycling Days.” At the first 2008 event – March 28 and 29 at George’s Island Park in Montrose – a reusable bag will also be distributed to the first 1,000 residents who turn in at least 20 plastic bags to encourage environmentally friendly habits in the future.

Receptacles will also be set up in county buildings to encourage employees to recycle. Bags recycled by the county will be taken to the county’s recycling center, the Material Recovery Facility in Yonkers (MRF), which will collect the bags to sell to brokers and be passed on to recyclers to be made into other products. Under the program, “Type 2” and “Type 4” bags would be taken back (the type of plastic is sometimes printed on the bag). Recyclables include grocery bags, newspaper bags, bread bags, dry cleaning film, packaging for toilet paper and paper towels, retail bags with hard plastic and string handles removed, and bags with sealed air for packaging.