What: In advance of New York’s ban on single-use plastic bags, which goes into effect on March 1, State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Region 6 Director Randall Young will deliver reusable bags to the Watertown Urban Mission Food Pantry and Impossible Dream Thrift Store and the Watertown Salvation Army Food Pantry.

The reusable BYOBagNY (Bring Your Own Bag New York) delivery supports DEC’s ongoing campaign to encourage New Yorkers to use reusable bags wherever and whenever they shop. DEC is currently distributing hundreds of thousands of reusable bags across the state, with a focus on low- and moderate-income New Yorkers with the help of partner state agencies, Feeding New York State, the statewide food bank organization, and other stakeholders.

DEC will continue to focus its outreach and education efforts to ensure a smooth transition for consumers and affected retailers, with enforcement to follow in the months ahead. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation to ban the sale of single-use plastic bags in New York State on Earth Day, April 23, 2019.

When: Today, Wednesday, February 26, 2020 at 2:00 p.m.

Where: Watertown Urban Mission 247 Factory Street, Watertown, NY. Conference room.

Who: Randall Young, Regional Director, Region 6 DEC; Dawn Cole, Executive Director, Watertown Urban Mission & Lena Parker, BSW, Watertown Salvation Army.

WHY: New Yorkers use an estimated 23 billion plastic bags annually - each for about 12 minutes - and approximately 85 percent of this staggering total ends up in landfills, recycling machines, waterways and streets. For more information about the plastic bag ban, visit https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/50034.html, email plasticbags@dec.ny.gov, or call (518) 402-8706.