Cuomo pushes for statewide ban on single-use plastic bags

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is pushing for a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags.
Currently in Suffolk County, there is a 5-cent fee for single-use plastic bags. Cuomo's proposal could result in a total ban of the bags, as part of a campaign to reduce litter. It would also encourage shoppers to bring their own reusable bags.
Some residents who spoke with News 12 say the move would be understandable despite its initial inconvenience.
Chris Gobler, an associate professor at Stony Brook University, says any effort made to reduce plastic on land or in oceans is an effort well spent.
"Ocean plastic is becoming a crisis," he says.
The state Legislature would still have to vote on the ban, under which paper bags would still be allowed.
Cuomo will deliver his annual State of the State address on Tuesday.