New Jersey Bans Single-Use Plastic Bags

Single-use plastic and paper luggage—together with disposable polystyrene meals containers and cups—might be banned in New Jersey shops and meals service institutions, efficient Could 2022. Governor Phil Murphy signed the laws, S864, banning these merchandise on November 4, 2020.  

New Jersey is the ninth state to ban single-use plastic luggage and the primary state to ban single-use paper luggage from grocery shops. California, in 2014, was the primary state to go laws prohibiting single-use plastic luggage. Single-use plastic luggage are additionally banned in New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Oregon, Vermont, and Hawaii. A number of of those states, nonetheless, have suspended briefly the plastic take-away bag restrictions amid the pandemic.

New Jersey’s ban gives exceptions for sure merchandise for 2 years past the Could 2022 efficient date. These contains lengthy dealt with spoons for thick drinks, cups of two ounces or much less for decent meals requiring lids, meat and fish trays for uncooked or butchered meat, and meals pre-packaged by the producer with polystyrene foam for meals service.

S864 additionally specifies that foodservice institutions could solely present single-use plastic straws to a buyer upon request starting in November 2021.

Earlier payments banning single-use plastic bag have been vetoed by Governor Murphy as not expansive sufficient. The meals business endorsed this invoice as a result of it preempts native ordinances limiting or prohibiting single-use plastic luggage. Greater than 57 New Jersey municipalities have handed separate bans on plastic luggage, in response to NJ Highlight Information.  “The unworkable patchwork underscored the significance of getting this sensible, uniform statewide legislation that preempts all native ordinances,” said Linda Doherty, President and CEO of the New Jersey Meals Council, in a press launch supporting the invoice.

The laws appropriates cash from the state’s Clear Group Fund for a public data marketing campaign in regards to the new legislation and establishes the event of a Plastics Advisory Council to gauge the invoice’s effectiveness. Penalties vary from a warning for first offense to $1,000 for the second offense, and as much as $5,000 for added offenses.