In Jan. 2009, a new plastic bag law was put into effect statewide. The law aims to reduce, reuse and recycle plastic carryout bags in order to save energy, reduce our ecological footprint, decrease litter and save landfill space, as recognized by the governor and our legislators.

Plastic bags that end up in landfills can take up to 1,000 years to decompose and break down.

The law calls for visible and accessible plastic carryout bag collection bins to be placed in stores for consumers to dispose of the clean bags.

In order to have them recycled, the bags must be clean and free from receipts or other material.

Water droplets are not an issue. These clean, collected bags are not to be disposed of in landfills or other solid waste facilities.

As seen with many stores, reusable bags are to be available for purchase by consumers within the stores.

The reusable bags can be used in replacement for the plastic carryout bags or paper bags. If compostable bags are sold at these stores, then a statement must be printed in a manner that is visible to consumers on the bags stating: “Compostable bag - do not place in recycling bin.”

Compostable bags in stock can be sold for one year from Jan. 2009, before this statement is printed.

The plastic carryout bag recycling bins should be marked clearly and visibly for the sole function of collecting clean plastic bags for recycling.

These bins should be visible, accessible and placed in retail stores with more than 10,000 square feet of retail space and for chains with a minimum of five stores, each with more than 5,000 square feet of retail space.

Furthermore, a one-year phase period is in effect for using the current plastic bags before stores have printed or displayed on the bags the words, “Please return to a participating store for recycling.”

If an alternative statement for the plastic bag recycling is wanted, the stores may apply for approval from the commissioner. This statement must be visible to consumers.

The law implies all the plastic carryout bags collected by the stores should be transported and recycled with any other in-store plastic bags.

The compliant stores are to keep a record for at least three years, describing the collection, the transportation and the recycling of the plastic bags from the bins.

The weight of the bags should be recorded with the collection of the plastic carryout bags at a regional collection center.

Upon request, the records should be available to departments for showing compliance. Departments should provide educational material in the promotion of reducing, reusing and recycling of plastic carryout bags in stores to comply with the law.

In addition, information on available recycling facilities and companies recycling plastic bags should be accessible.

Irene Holak is the program educator of environmental issues at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County