You could soon be paying for plastic bags at retail and grocery stores across the city.
City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito is backing a plan to charge shoppers 5 cents for every plastic bag used at stores.
Lawmakers behind the bill say New Yorkers throw away 9 billion plastic bags each year.
They say the bags are posing a problem because they end up in landfills, litter city streets and clog storm drains.
Shoppers NY1 spoke with had mixed reactions to the proposal.
"I think I'm all for it because I feel like we get so many reusable bags that we should be using it. So it really doesn't bother me at all," said one New Yorker.
"I think it should be done gradually so that people can economically find a way to maybe find, get into the habit of getting permanent bags to use," said another.
"People trying to save as much money as they can, now add other fee just for going shopping and everything like that, I think it's kind of too much, you know," said a third.
Supporters of the bill say the city spends more than $12 million a year hauling plastic bags to landfills.
The bill's supporters say New Yorkers use more than 9 billion plastic bags each year, and that it costs the city more than $12 million a year to haul the bags to landfills.
Critics say the extra charge is just another tax, and that the city needs to focus more on recycling efforts instead.