Nick Reisman is reporting for the State of Politics blog the imminent state ban on single-use plastic bags moved one step closer to implementation February 17, with the release of regulations governing how the new law will be put into action. The ban was approved by state lawmakers and Gov. Andrew Cuomo last year and it will take effect on March 14. Major supermarket chains statewide have already started the process of phasing out single-use plastic bags in favor of reusable bags. The regulations released by the Department of Environmental Conservation on the President's Day holiday are not very different from what was initially proposed by state officials. Matt Seaholm, the executive director of the American Recyclable Plastic Bag Alliance, said of the implementation plan, “The state has refused to heed the concerns of retailers and shoppers who say there’s been insufficient outreach to explain the ban and also are worried about a looming paper bag shortage and questionable availability of reusable bags from China due to supply chain disruptions." The ban was approved as a way to reduce a major and commonplace source of pollution and a contributor to climate change. Read the full story at New York State of Politics [dot] com.