Page 54 - Plastics News February 2017
P. 54
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
New York Legislature blocks NYC's plastic bag fee
Governor Cuomo Tuesday signed a bill to impose a ordinance would let store charge more than five cents per
moratorium blocking New York City’s plan for a bag. “We all care about the environment and want to make
5-cent fee on plastic and paper carryout bags. Cuomo, a difference,” said New York State Sen. Simcha Felder
who released a lengthy statement on the issue, said (D-Brooklyn), one of the leaders of the state Senate’s
the city law that was efforts against the city bag fee. “ The officials also noted
due to go into effect about a dozen other smaller cities and counties in the
on Wednesday was state had passed legislation restricting single-use bags.
“deeply flawed” even The Legislature’s Feb. 7 action applies only to cities with
if the intent to clean more than 1 million people. Their letter said that bag fees
up the environment in other places have reduced waste, pointing to San Jose,
was a good one. The California which they said saw plastic bag litter drop by
governor said he’s 89 percent in the storm drain system and 60 percent in
creating a task force to come up with a uniformed waterways and city streets. “Prohibiting localities from
statewide plan to deal with “the plastic bag problem.” adopting per-bag charges would limit policy solutions to
New York City’s plan for a 5-cent fee on plastic and paper ones that are more politically difficult to pass, are more
carryout bags has been stopped at least temporarily with vulnerable to lawsuit, and which do less to reduce overall
the state Legislature voting February 7 to postpone it and waste,” they said.
look at other ways to reduce bag waste.
Advocates for New York City’s bag fee, however, were Japan considering removing
continuing their fight, encouraging the state’s Democratic China from its GSP list
Gov. Andrew Cuomo to veto the legislation and keep the
city’s fee alive. Cuomo told New York media February Japan is considering removing China from its list of
8 it was a “complicated” issue and he would decide in Generalized System of Preferences or GSP countries
a few days. However, the speaker of New York’s State due to China's economic strength, local media reported
Assembly, which is also controlled by Democrats, said Tuesday. Under GSP rules, developing countries are
lawmakers heard from “many constituents” opposed taxed at a lower rate when exporting their products
to New York City’s bag fee, which is scheduled to take to developed countries.Japanese media reported
effect Feb. 15. “It makes sense to press the pause button that the country's import tax rates for chemicals
on this fee in order to do a more thorough investigation such as polyethylene
on the best ways to reduce paper and plastic waste in terephthalate from
our environment,” said Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx). China could be affected
“We all share the same goal of reducing plastic waste by any change. Japan's
and improving our environment.” The state legislation import tax on PET
is a temporary measure and would allow New York’s imports from China is
City Council to again pass bag fees, in 2018. Earlier currently set at zero.
Heastie said in statement that he wanted to work over Separately in September
the next few months to “develop a solution that works last year, Japan's Ministry of Finance and Ministry of
for everyone.” “There were a number of issues with the Economy, Trade and Industry launched an antidumping
local law that made state action necessary,” Heastie said, investigation into PET imports from China The probe is
citing a “disproportionate” impact on the working poor due to end within a year. Japan imported 79,294 mt of
and senior citizens and a provision that would let stores PET last November, 49% of it from China, latest Ministry
keep the proceeds from bag sales, rather than direct them of Finance data showed.
to environmental programs. As well, he said the city’s
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