NYS Plastic Bag Ban in Ulster County

The BYO Bag Act resulted in the ban of single use plastic bag distribution at most retail locations in Ulster County. The Act encourages consumers to use reusable bags when buying food or merchandise. This law went into effect on July 15, 2019.

The Ulster County law contains a reverse pre-emption provision and will no longer be in effect on March 1, 2020 when the New York State Bag Waste Reduction Law goes into effect.

At this time, Ulster County has not opted in to the NYS provision requiring consumers be charged a 5 cent fee for each paper carryout bag. However, stores in Ulster County may choose to charge for a recyclable or resusable bag in accord with guidance from the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance. In addition since Ulster County has not opted in to the NYS fee, stores in Ulster that choose to charge for bags do not have to follow the mandatory exemption for WIC and SNAP benefit users. 

For more information on the NYS Bag Ban, please see the NYS DEC website https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/50034.html or the NYS Dept of Taxation and Finance https://www.tax.ny.gov/bus/st/paper-carryout-bag-fee.htm

 

For an archive of FAQ on the Ulster County law (no longer in effect March 1, 2020), use the following links: 

Please contact BYOBagAct[at]co.ulster.ny[dot]us with comments or questions. 

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BYOBag Act Resources

-Local Law #5 of 2018

-Local Law #1 of 2019 Amending Local Law #5 of 2018

 

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