Paper or plastic? In New Jersey, try neither.
The state legislature on Thursday voted to make New Jersey the first in the country to ban single-use paper bags in supermarkets, along with all single-use plastic bags in stores and restaurants.
Eight other states, including California, New York and Vermont, have banned the use of plastic bags alone, now that they are in place or will be in place in the coming years.
But banning both plastic and paper single-use bags, as well as disposable food containers and cups made from polystyrene foam, environmental advocates said the New Jersey bill is the toughest in the United States.
“This is probably the strongest, most comprehensive bill in the country dealing with plastics and packaging,” said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, which has been leading the campaign for the ban. “It will go a long way in the fight against plastic pollution.”
Opponents of the bill argued that it could hurt businesses and the ban should be limited to plastic bags, as many people see paper bags as an environmentally friendly alternative.
But Mr. Tittel said banning paper bags would force New Jersey people to use bags made of recycled or other durable materials.
Heidi Brock, president and chief executive of the American Forest and Paper Association, which represents companies that are part of the paper industry, said she hoped the governor would block the ban on paper bags.
In a statement Thursday, he said the New Jersey Legislature has undermined the environmentally responsible option for consumers. “Furthermore, the ban on the paper bag sends a worrying message to devalue family wage jobs, often as union labor, in addition to indirect jobs supported by the state’s paper and wood products industry.”
The ban will take effect 18 months after the bill goes into effect. Government spokesman Philippe de Murphy said Thursday that Mr Murphy wanted to sign the bill.
Spokesperson Mahen Gunaratna said the governor is proud to support the strongest bag ban in the country. “This bill would significantly reduce the damage to our environment caused by these products.”
Both single-use plastic and paper bags have environmental costs that have drawn the scrutiny of environmental advocates and legislators in recent years.
Plastic bags, which can decompose into decay, represent about 12 percent of America’s total plastic waste. Paper bags usually require more energy and greenhouse gas emissions.
States and cities have adopted a patchwork of various bag use policies. Some, like New York State, have focused on banning the distribution of plastic bags, which have long been associated with waste and pollution.
States have also adopted less restrictive measures to prevent people from using paper bags. In California, for example, stores must charge at least 10 cents for recycled paper bags.
Many epidemics have been postponed in California and elsewhere during the epidemic.
New York’s ban on plastic bags was due to take effect on March 1, but a lawsuit challenging the ban delayed its implementation. Last week, state officials said the ban would now take effect October 19.
Some states, including Florida, have moved in the other direction, passing laws that restrict the ability of local governments to ban plastic bags. The plastics industry is also using epidemics to argue that single-use plastic bags are safer than reusable bags.
In fact, some businesses in New Jersey and elsewhere have stopped allowing customers to use their own bags during the outbreak.
The New Jersey Bill says the ban on plastic and paper bags does not apply to bags used to wrap meat or fish, laundry bags or newspaper bags, among other exceptions.
The bill attracted the support of the New Jersey Food Council, which represents industry groups, food retailers and suppliers, arguing that it is burdensome for retailers to explore different policies on which bags can be used in different municipalities across the state.
“The ban on paper bags is critically important; They have the same environmental impact as plastic bags, ”said Linda Doherty, president and chief executive of the council. “Without this restriction, consumers would have gone into a single-use bag of paper, failing to meet our underlying goal of reducing our reliance on stand-alone products.”
Other industry groups have opposed the ban.
Dennis Hart, executive director of the Chemistry Council of New Jersey, said legislators rushed to pass the bill without carefully considering the relative benefits of polystyrene products compared to alternatives. He said the ban would hurt New Jersey-based manufacturers and other businesses.
“Rest restaurants rent New Jersey, God knows how many of them are surviving the epidemic.” “Even if they do, they have been in a bad financial situation for a long time. This is going to bill, more burden of costs for a low quality product.
