NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- In an early scene in The Graduate, Benjamin Braddock is advised to go into plastics.
That may not be the case anymore, as New York is jumping on the anti-plastics bandwagon.
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“Today, we say no to plastics. We say no to fossil fuels. We say yes to a better and fairer future,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
The mayor admits he's an 'obsessive recycler.' He's been known to go around City Hall at night turning off all of the lights and drinks water out of a metal container. So it's no surprise that he signed an executive order ending the city's reliance on plastic single use items.
He wants to move similarly in the private sector.
"We need to get plastic foodware out of restaurants, out of stores, we need to get it out of our lives," he said.
He's working with the city council to that end. Exceptions will involve the medical industry and emergencies where sanitary conditions are a necessity.
The mayor says plastic manufacturers are 'the villain' for creating mass use of their products.
“Big Oil has been pushing single-use plastics for too long — and it stops here,” de Blasio said. “They litter our beaches and parks, jam our recycling machines, and contribute to climate change. Our actions today will help us build a fairer city for all New Yorkers.”
The city said it is still taking bids to supply new utensils, but the program will likely cost more than the $1 million a year currently spent on single-use plastic products.