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Relieved Vendors After Delayed Enforcement on the Plastic Bag Ban Vendors are Relieved After Delayed Enforcement on the Plastic Bag Ban

Vendors are Relieved After Delayed Enforcement on the Plastic Bag Ban

By Domenica Paola Orellana Gallardo

NEW YORK STATE HAS DECIDED TO DELAY ENFORCEMENT OF ITS BAN ON PLASTIC BAGS, WHICH WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE EFFECT ON MARCH FIRST. REPORTER DOMENICA ORELLANA SPOKE WITH VENDORS AT THE FAYETVILLE FARMERS MARKET ON HOW THIS DELAY WILL AFFECT THEIR BUSINESSES.

SOME VENDORS AT THE FARMERS MARKET WILL NOT BE AFFECTED BY THE DELAY OF THIS LAW. SINCE THEY ARE UNDER THE ‘EXCEPTION’ CATEGORY FOR THIS BAN. THIS IS THE CASE FOR MOUNTAIN GROWN FARM VENDOR LACEY CASHMAN.

“PRODUCE FARMS LIKE OURS WE DON’T COLLECT SALES TAX SO WE ARE NOT SUBJECT TO IT”

FOR OTHER VENDORS, THE DELAY OF THE ENFORCEMENT MEANS LETTING THEM SALE THEIR PLASTIC BAG WRAPPED PRODUCTS BEFORE SWITCHING TO NEW PRODUCTS IN REUSABLE BAGS.
Derinda Dempster:
(“I’M IN A SPOT WHERE IS COSTING ME MONEY TO HAVE THIS HERE AND THEN IS ALSO COSTING ME MONEY TO REPLACE THE ITEMS THAT I ALREADY HAVE. SO WITH THIS GAP IS ALLOWING ME, HOPEFULLY, NOT HAVE TOO MUCH OF A LOSS.”)

OTHER VENDORS WHO STILL HAVE PLASTIC BAGS, WILL KEEP THEM UNTIL THEY RUN OUT OF THEM, BEFORE THE NEW DATE OF THE ENFORCEMENT, APRIL FIRST. THE PLASTIC BAG BAN HAS ALSO BEEN AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO CREATE DEALS FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS, LIKE PIED PIPER MAPLE FARM VENDOR BARB HAMLIN.
Barb Hamlin:
“I HAVE PURCHASED SOME BAGS THAT I CAN GIVE TO PEOPLE, AND IF THEY BUY A QUARTER OF MAPPLE SYRUP I GIVE THEM A BAG.”

“AND I’M HERE AT THE FAYETVILLE TOWN CENTER WHERE I SPOKE TO SOME VENDORS AT THE FARMERS MARKET AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE DELAY ON THE ENFORCEMENT ON THE NEW YORK STATE PLASTIC BAG BAN WILL ALLOW THEM TO HAVE A SMOOTHER TRANSITION INTO REUSABLE BAGS. STARTING APRIL FIRST BUSINESSES COULD FACE UP TO 5-HUNDRED-DOLLARS IN FINES IF THEY CONTINUE TO HAND OUT PLASTIC BAGS. FOR N-C-C NEWS I AM DOMENICA ORELLANA.”

SYRACUSE, N.Y.(NCC News)– The enforcement of New York’s plastic bag ban, which was supposed to take effect on March 1 has been pushed off one month, giving business owners a grace period of penalties and fines.

The delay in enforcement comes in response after a court challenge in Albany County; a united group of grocers filed a lawsuit in an attempt to block the law. “They argued the new ban is unconstitutional, overly vague, conflicts with other laws and is “arbitrary and capricious,” Marie French of Politico reported.

The change on the enforcement date for the plastic bag ban was well-received by vendors at the Fayetteville Farmers Market who are still adjusting to the transition of acquiring reusable bags.

Fayetteville Farmers Market Vendors are located in the Atrium at the Fayetteville Towne Center
Fayetteville Farmers Market Vendors are located in the Atrium at the Fayetteville Towne Center.
© 2020 Doménica Orellana

Derinda Dempster, one of the vendors at the Fayetteville Farmers Market, owns a fudge store that is classified as ‘taxable’, which means she has to transition to paper bags. However, her baked goods, cookies, cakes, aren’t considered taxable. Dempster has decided to transition to paper bags for both of her product lines, as she expressed she finds it confusing which way to go.

"I live on Oneida Lake and the fishing and the wild life are affected by the plastic," Dempster said.
Derinda Dempster, one of the Vendors at the Fayetteville Farmers Market, said she will transition both of her products line to paper bags. “I live on Oneida Lake and the fishing and the wild life are affected by the plastic,” Dempster said.
© 2020 Doménica Orellana

“This is giving me time to use up the product that I already have before I switch over to a new product,” Dempster said.”I have two cases of plastic bags still in my shop, and if I was not to use them, that’s $50 a case that I’m losing out for my business.”

Vendor Barb Hamlin from Pied Piper Maple Farm is also a business considered ‘taxable,’ so she has to transition into paper bags. Hamlin  mentioned she’s currently working on making her own bags so she can offer those to her customers instead of plastic bags.

“I think it has been positive because people are just getting on board with this, most people who want really healthy organic produced maple syrup are thinking about the environment as well.”

Vendor Barbara Hamlin from Pied Piper Maple Farm holds a plastic bag while she said: "when these are gone, I'm not buying any more!
Vendor Barbara Hamlin from Pied Piper Maple Farm holds a plastic bag while she said: “when these are gone, I’m not buying any more!
© 2020 Doménica Orellana

For produce farmers like Mountain Grown Farm, this delay doesn’t really affect them, as they are not affected by the ban.

“The main thing with the New York State plastic bag ban is whether or not you collect sales tax with your business where as produce farms like ours we don’t collect sales tax so we are not subject to it,” Lacey Cashman, one of the vendors at the Fayetteville Farmers Market,  explained.

As of April 1, businesses  that don’t comply with the Bag Waste Reduction Law, could face up to $500 in fines for each violation, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation.

Reported by
Broadcast and Digital Journalism Senior Doménica Orellana

Domenica Paola Orellana Gallardo

Doménica Orellana is a Broadcast and Digital Journalism senior student at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. During her four years at SU, she's taken advantage of multiple opportunities to get journalism experience in TV, radio, and print. She's been an anchor for three years at Citrus TV Noticias, a Spanish newscast entirely run by students, been a radio co-host, and written for the nationally-recognized college newspaper, The Daily Orange. She has previously interned at CNNE, News Channel 9, El Universo (ecuadorian newspaper) and Ecuavisa's investigative show, Vision 360.

Other stories by Domenica Paola Orellana Gallardo

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