It’s been 18 months in the making, but starting May 4, New Jersey residents will no longer be able to carry their grocery items out of a supermarket using a single-use plastic or paper bag.
Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming legislative change.
Prohibited Items
Starting May 4, New Jersey stores and foodservice outlets will no longer be able to distribute single-use plastic bags, paper bags, disposable food containers, and cups made of polystyrene foam.
Any business found violating the law would receive a warning on first offense, with fines ranging from $1,000 for a second offense and up to $5,000 for third or subsequent offenses.
Exempt Plastic Items
A number of items will be exempted under the ban. Reusable plastic carryout bags with stitched handles will still be offered, as will bags used solely for uncooked meat, fish, or poultry.
Plastic bags designed to hold fresh produce, nuts, coffee, grains, baked goods, sliced foods, prepared-to-order foods, candy, greeting cards, flowers, and small hardware will also be permitted, as will bags used to contain live animals like fish.
Laundry, dry cleaning, and garment bags; newspaper bags; and prescription drug bags are other miscellaneous items which will be permitted under the new law.
Exempt Foam Items
Foam containers will be disallowed under the current law, although other products made from the same polystyrene material will have a two-year grace period before being banned.
These items would include foam spoons for thick drinks; small cups of two ounces or less, trays for raw meat, poultry, or fish; and any food pre-packaged in polystyrene by the manufacturer.
Origins and Support of the Bill
Signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy on Nov. 4, 2020, the bill was touted as one of the nation’s strongest laws on the topic, and was designed in response to other national efforts to cut down on pollution.
“Paper bags require resources and energy to produce, contributing to pollution,” said Murphy at the time.
A majority of New Jersey residents were aware of and supported the ban, with 61% supporting a “plastic bag ban” that allowed access for a small fee.
I understand and agree with the plastic bag ban. But since when are paper bags an environmental issue? Paper decomposes quickly. You never see brown paper bags stuck in trees. Something is fishy about including paper with the plastic ban.
How will this work for delivered or curbside pickup groceries? Will stores be required to sell you reusable bags for all of your items, cause I don’t see how customers could provide their own to stores for use in deliveries/curbside pickups?
I think that paper bags should be exempt. Plastic is the problem. I’m all for clean air and a clean environment . But just think that paper bags should be ok .
BAD !! A Very BAD Idee!! This will unnecessarily put more Stress’s 0n the already 0ver Burdened store cashier’s!! Also create hardship’s for’n the Shopper’s!! AND; Will also have an impact 0n Sales!! This is a Huge Inconvenience for’n every0ne concerned here!! 0nce again; The Idiot’s in NJ are Running the Asylum’s..//
the bag ban is a stupid idea. if people cant get these bags , they will just BUY MORE plastic bags that are thicker and MORE plastic will be used. These gov programs always fail and have exactly the opposite effect.
Dirk, the idea behind reusable plastic bags is for people to buy them and use them over and over again. If a reusable bag is say 5x as thick as a grocery store bag, and you use it 50x before disposing of it, that’s 1/10 the plastic you’d use by buying reusable bags. We might dispute the exact numbers I’ve suggested, but that’s not what’s at issue. The point is that reusable bags get used more times than conventional single use bags, so that’s why they benefit the environment. Perhaps you don’t care about future generations, because of your social darwinist views, but some of us actually do.
I think you are right in the short run.In the long run, stores, clerks and shoppers will adapt the new way of doing things. It’s worth a try.
Once again the government interjects itself into our lives and our rights with no basis to do so. If this were brought before a court, the state would never prevail if it had to actually prove its case. And that does not even count the companies making these products losing business, as well as their employees who will lose their jobs as a result. Terrible law which should be overturned.
I’ll just have friends from overseas send me my styrofoam products. Its illegal to tamper with mail.