Francisco Marte

Francisco Marte is a bodega owner in the Bronx, New York, who has been navigating the challenges of the city's ban on single-use plastic bags implemented five years ago. As the president of the Bodega and Small Business Group in New York, he has been vocal about the mixed compliance among his peers regarding the ban. While he has begun charging for reusable bags in some of his stores, he continues to provide plastic bags in lower-income neighborhoods to avoid imposing higher costs on his customers. Marte has observed a gradual shift as some patrons start bringing their own bags, reflecting the complexities of transitioning away from plastic in urban retail environments.