MONTICELLO — The county legislators would like to see a single-use plastic bag ban in Sullivan.

County Manager Joshua Potosek asked the legislators at the Parks, Agriculture and Sustainability Committee this week if they would like him to do some research on how to proceed.

This issue was brought up a few months earlier, but the legislators tabled it because a measure was going through the State Assembly and Senate. However, that bill did not pass.

“It failed to get enacted [at the state level], so we're back here to talk to you about does the legislature want us to research options and come back with some recommendations,” Potosek said.

Legislators will now revisit the issue. Potosek said it would be important to talk to local businesses, especially grocery stores.

A plastic bag ban was recently passed in Ulster County. According to news reports, the Ulster County Legislature voted 15-7 on September 20 to adopt a local law known as Bring Your Own Bag Act. The law would require stores to charge five cents for a recyclable paper bag provided to customers who don't bring their own reusable bags. The bill now goes to Ulster County Executive Michael Hein, and if enacted, would take effect on July 15, 2019.

Nationwide, other states and municipalities have enacted plastic bag bans. California became the first state in the U.S. to enact legislation imposing a statewide ban in August 2014. America is actually behind the rest of the world, as many countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America have banned bags. For instance, Botswana introduced a levy on plastic bags that became effective in 2007.