The Asbury Park Press published an Opinion article authored by NJFC President Linda Doherty on the explosion of plastic bag ban ordinances popping up along the Jersey Shore and the proposed legislation that would have a positive impact on the usage of disposable plastic and paper bags.
“Unfortunately, while well-intentioned, the proposals vary greatly with each municipality and are proving to be costly and confusing for businesses and consumers. Depending on the town, some ordinances ban plastic bags, while others ban both paper and plastic. A number of proposals impose consumer fees on plastic bags, while others impose fees on both paper and plastic. And the various proposals have different definitions of plastic, paper, disposable, reusable and compostable. All of these varying definitions and provisions have created an unworkable patchwork of local ordinances for retailers seeking to comply,” said Doherty in response to the growing number of municipal ordinances.
Ms. Doherty added, “The New Jersey Food Council strongly believes that a carefully crafted statewide bag fee can benefit the environment and provide retailers with a uniform and standard policy.”
You can read the entire Asbury Park Press Opinion article here.