Take One Last Look at the (Many) Plastic Bags of New York

In case you weren’t aware, there’s a statewide plastic bag ban coming into effect on March 1st in New York. It’s been almost four decades since the ubiquitous, carry groceries and then recycle for animal poop bags changed the retail landscape forever, but as Governor Cuomo puts it, “For far too long these bags have blighted our environment and clogged our waterways,” which is why he backed the statewide ban on the bags. In light of that announcement and the pending ban, the New York Times decided to do a deep dive into the multitude of plastic bags from Supreme and Pearl River, to Duane Reade and Key Food, to the various Thank You bags from bodegas and Chinese restaurants that serves as a sort of visual encyclopedia of all things plastic carryall. Since these bags are absolutely terrifying for the environment, it’s equal parts enthralling, interesting and completely terrifying.