BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - Governor Andrew Cuomo's plastic bag ban proposal drew a strong reaction from many in the community.
Shoppers we spoke with outside local grocery stores largely supported the measure, though one man told us that he thinks the government should be more focused on other, more important things.
"There's a lot more worse things than plastic bags," the man said.
Governor Cuomo introduced his plan to ban single-use plastic bags in New York State on Sunday. His office said the ban will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with plastic bag production and disposal.
She said she doesn't think the plastic bag ban will solve major issues but she does view plastic bags as a problem.
"Admitting that it's a problem and trying to deal with it is a step in the right direction," she said. "We can't address it if we don't acknowledge it."
Jedlicka said recycling is the "end game" for a products lifecycle and that controlling the amount of plastics in the environment is about consumer control.
"We all have the power to make specific and strategic choices whether we purchase products that have single-use plastic with them," she said. "Whether we purchase or utilize an alternative...We all have choices out there in front of us and hopefully this type of legislation in combination with education outreach, we'll begin to see minimization of plastic waste."
Details about the proposed bill haven't been made public, though we should expect to learn more about it during the governor's State of the State address on Tuesday afternoon.
