New York State of Mind

If you have customers in New York State, you likely know by now that the state budget passed last week included the nation’s second statewide ban on single-use plastic bags. Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed the ban in January, saying at the time, "While the federal government is taking our environmental progress backwards and selling out our communities to polluters and oil companies, in New York we are moving forward with the nation's strongest environmental policies and doing everything in our power to protect our natural resources for future generations. These bold actions to ban plastic bags and promote recycling will reduce litter in our communities, protect our water and create a cleaner and greener New York for all." The ban goes into effect next year, and New York joins California in banning single-use plastics, but with one big difference: New York stopped short of also including a fee for the use of paper bags at the same time. Counties will have an option to charge for using paper, five cents a bag, but it is not mandated as a companion to the plastic ban.

You’re already pushing one of the hot categories in our business, bags made from woven material or post-consumer recycled materials, and you’re likely having success because of the momentum of the movement away from single-use plastics. But why is a ban that stops short of charging for paper bags less leverage for you selling into New York? NYPIRG (New York Public Interest Research Group) environmental policy director Liz Moran says, “New York decided to trade one environmental issue for another. The State should have learned from other areas that also only banned plastic bags without a paper bag fee—they just don’t work. California has documented success with a ban coupled with a fee, and New York missed the mark. Now, water resources and climate in New York will pay the price."

Eric Goldstein, NYC Environment Director of the National Resources Defense Council, an influential environmental non-profit, said: "Experience elsewhere has shown that a simple ban on plastic bags leads to much greater use of paper bags—or thicker plastic bags—and doesn’t accomplish the primary objective of triggering a shift to reusables."

The key for you to remember when you are talking to your customers is that you are selling “reusables”. BOTH single-use plastic (it’s right there in the name) and paper bags are NOT reusables. But wait, if you’re like me, you may have thought all along that paper was at least a better alternative than plastic. If that’s what your client thinks, too, then this is what you tell them:

1. 1. It actually takes more energy resources to make a paper bag than it does to make a plastic one.

2. 2. Have you tried to re-use a paper bag without it tearing?

3. 3. Paper bags weigh five to seven times as much as plastic bags, so they add that much more to waste management, which in turn adds five to seven more times worth of greenhouse gas emissions into the environment.

So, while I may be preaching to the choir here, I’ll take that chance to talk about the alternatives to paper or plastic that may already be in your catalog. So, just in case…

Canvas Totes. Bags in our industry range from synthetic fabrics and recycled materials to cotton and canvas. You’ve seen the going trend to label promo as “fashion forward,” but there is nothing more “forward” than using reusable canvas totes, and after shopping for groceries, they make a personal statement about your clients’ support of improving the planet.

Mesh Bags. While they are more difficult to decorate and come in more limited colors, they’re lightweight, see-through, and handles are part of entire bag. You don’t have to worry about snapped straps with these unless they are significantly overloaded.

Cloth Bags. I know, everybody has one. But, you really need to keep an option open that offers so many color choices, decorating areas, and is so inexpensive for your clients considering the durability for the money. Nothing better than saving both the planet and cash at the same time for your client.

Whether or not you have clients in New York State, having options is always a good idea, and not just for bags. Glass containers like a good old-fashioned Mason-style jar are the real definition of “reusables,” and so are those made out of stainless steel. Reusable sandwich bags and Ziploc replacement alternatives are on more consumers’ minds than you can imagine, as people search for ways to be more Earth-friendly and reduce reliance on single-use plastic. While you’re not going to take these kinds of items to the store, they are great once your client brings everything home in that new “reusable” tote. Imagine the benefit of supplying promotional product items that people use every day to not only grocery stop, but also to pack their lunches in. The options are limitless, once you start thinking about it. And believe it or not, your customers—or your customers’ customers, are looking for just these kinds of solutions.