Single-Use Plastic Bag Ban Proposal in Croton Stirs Heated Debate
Croton-on-Hudson residents and members of the Village Board spoke out last week against an organization that condemns municipalities for wanting to impose a ban that would eliminate single-use plastic bags and encourage patrons to bring reusable shopping bags.
Jay Peltz, general counsel and senior vice president of government relations from the Food Industry Alliance of New York State, appeared before the board last Tuesday on behalf of ShopRite, and protested that a plastic bag ban would result in an adverse environmental impact.
He explained that after a ban is implemented in communities’ groceries will often see a surge in paper bags, asserting that paper is more harmful to the environment than plastic. He said ShopRite, the only major grocer in Croton, would be economically affected, alleging their use of paper bags would increase weekly from 5,000 to 50,000.
“This would be a terrible precedent,” Peltz said at the September 4 meeting. “Bans harm the environment. There is no rational reason to do a ban.”
The proposed legislation, referred to as the Reusable Bag Ordinance and recommended by the Croton Climate Initiative, would call for certain stores, such as groceries and food markets, pharmacies and convenience stores, to ban plastic bags and charge customers a 10-cent fee for each paper bag used to carry out purchased merchandise. The fee would be kept by the stores.
The ordinance would still allow plastic bags to be used for meat and produce, dry cleaners, prescription drugs, and newspapers.
While Trustee Amy Attias engaged in a heated debate with Peltz, questioning if his information was based on factual data, Trustee Sherry Horowtiz suggested the village ban both plastic and paper to avoid any additional environmental impacts or potential fiscal issues for ShopRite.
Peltz added that ShopRite’s clientele would reduce significantly if a ban is implemented, suggesting customers will shop where they can access plastic and paper bags.
“I don’t believe that’s true,” Horowitz said. “You do not have any absolute knowledge to back that up. This is going to happen in the state and county eventually, so it would be great if ShopRite didn’t put up any resistance and obliged with the community.”
About a half-dozen other communities in Westchester have previously approved similar laws, including New Castle and Pleasantville. This spring, the county announced plans to create a law prohibiting single-use plastic bags.
ShopRite representatives, who recently assembled a reusable bag display in their store, said they were willing to work with the community and didn’t want the topic to become an adversarial issue. Peltz said the board should consider a fee-based approach on both paper and plastic.
Several residents spoke for nearly an hour in favor of adding a ban on paper bags and encouraged the board and ShopRite representatives to listen to the needs of the community.
Resident John Grant said the community is “wholeheartedly” in support of the ban and would advocate for ShopRite and increase their business load if they fall in line.
“How we come up with the idea that people would discontinue shopping at the store is just a complete embellishment,” Grant said. “This to me is very simple. I believe it’s the right thing to do.”
Members of the Croton Climate Initiative also presented a petition with signatures from more than 1,000 residents and nearly 50 businesses in support of the ban.
Croton Climate Initiative member Jennifer Pauly said the community should have a say in Croton’s future, not a corporate interest group. ShopRite should be more concerned about losing customers if they fight a plastic bag ban, she said.
“Don’t underestimate the wrath of a community scorned. I won’t shop in a store that picks a fight with the village,” Pauly said. “ShopRite, as much as we love it, is not the community. We are the community and we are the voice that matters the most.”
