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Tompkins County launches reusable-bag ad campaign funded by state bag fee
Summary
County staff unveiled a bring-your-own-bag advertising and distribution campaign using funds from New York State's 5' bag fee (the county receives roughly 3' of that per paper bag sold), including bus-shelter ads, a side-of-bus campaign and distribution to food pantries.
Tompkins County staff presented a reusable-bag distribution and public-education campaign to the PEAK committee, funded by revenues from New York State's 2020 plastic-bag ban and accompanying 5' paper-bag fee.
"We're calling it the bring your own bag campaign," said staff. The county opted into the 5' fee; staff explained that approximately 3' of the fee is returned to Tompkins County for eligible uses such as distributing reusable bags and outreach. The campaign includes a four-week bus-shelter placement in high-traffic locations and a side-of-bus advertisement to run countywide for roughly half the year. Ads include a QR code linking to the county's reusable-bag page with distribution information and downloadable signage for partners.
The program will prioritize locations near high-shopping corridors (for example, a Walmart site, a Seneca-area shelter, and a University Avenue stop.) Staff said they will distribute bags to community partners including food pantries (Enfield Food Pantry), Finger Lakes Reuse and other nonprofits. "A lot of the organizations that request bags are food pantries and community organizations," Eileen Holmes said.
Why this matters: staff said the bag-fee program has already contributed to a visible decrease in single-use bag litter and will now be used to reinforce behavior change through repeated visual cues and by supplying reusable bags to populations in need.
Staff asked committee members to help promote donation channels (for example, donating surplus reusable bags to pantries). The campaign materials and a QR-linked landing page are live; staff said they would continue to adapt signage and messaging with incoming feedback.
Ending: The committee expressed support for the branding and asked staff to continue coordination with partners for distribution and messaging.
