New York State could be going greener very soon.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced plans to expand the state’s bottle bill and ban plastic bags in the new year.

The expansion would make more non-alcoholic containers eligible for a five-cent deposit. It would include sports drinks, energy drinks, fruit and vegetable beverages and ready-to-drink teas and coffee. Some bottles containing dairy milk, milk substitutes, infant formula, syrups and flavorings, medical prescriptions and dietary supplements would still be exempt.

The Governor also says he will direct the Department for Environmental Conservation to conduct a study on how the bottle bill could be further expanded to include wine and liquor bottles.

In March 2017, Governor Cuomo created the New York State Plastic Bag Task Force to develop a comprehensive statewide solution to address pollution caused by plastic bags. 

Cuomo says the DEC will work with stakeholders and community leaders to ensure the roll-out of bag ban does not disproportionately impact low and moderate income and environmental justice communities through the distribution of reusable bags.

These proposals are part of a long list the governor plans to include in his 2019 Executive Budget, which he will present on Tuesday.