The last straw: Mayor signs executive order limiting single-use plastic
With an eye on global warming and carbon emissions, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed an executive order on Thursday to end the city’s purchase of single-use plastic items.
The city has 120 days from the signing to come up with a plan, and the order is expected to be fully implemented by the end of the year.
The mayor held up straws, plates and cutlery made of alternative materials, such as paper and cornstarch, showing the crowd at the press conference what the replacements for plastic will look like. Speaking at Sims Municipal Recycling in Sunset Park, he labeled the current situation a crisis.