In support of New York’s ban on single-use plastic bags that went into effect on March 1, State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos and DEC Region 8 Director Paul D’Amato delivered 500 reusable bags — with thousands more to follow — to Foodlink on Monday.

The reusable BYOBagNY (Bring Your Own Bag New York) delivery supports DEC’s ongoing campaign to encourage New Yorkers to use reusable bags wherever and whenever they shop. DEC is currently distributing hundreds of thousands of reusable bags across the state, with a focus on low- and moderate-income New Yorkers with the help of partner state agencies, Feeding New York State, regional food banks, and other stakeholders.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation to ban the sale of single-use plastic bags in New York State on Earth Day, April 22, 2019. Foodlink will help distribute these bags among its network of 200+ food pantries, meal programs and shelters throughout its 10-county service area.

New Yorkers use an estimated 23 billion plastic bags annually – each for about 12 minutes – and approximately 85 percent of this total ends up in landfills, recycling machines, waterways, and streets.

For more information about the plastic bag ban, visit https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/50034.html.