Monmouth University Poll Result: New Jersey Shoppers Know to Bring a Bag When They Shop

TRENTON – September 6, 2023 – When the state enacted its landmark bag ban on May 4 of last year, the big question was: Will New Jerseyans remember to bring their own bags when they shop?

After an intensive statewide education effort spearheaded by the New Jersey Clean Communities Council (NJCCC), the answer is a resounding “Yes.”

Monmouth University released a poll that shows 89% of customers generally bring their own bags when they shop. That is compared to just 38% when the question was posed in April of last year.

“We are continually asked if we believe the bag ban has accomplished the environmental goals intended by the state law,” said NJCCC Executive Director JoAnn Gemenden. “The answer is evident to anyone living or driving around New Jersey. Single-use plastic bags are no longer blowing in the wind, littering the ground and stuck in trees. New Jerseyans understand the importance of the law and are complying.”

In preparation for the law, NJCCC launched the statewide “Litter Free NJ” education campaign, with the New Jersey Business Action Center, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the New Jersey Food Council. The prevailing message was for customers to bring their own bags, with the campaign providing educational materials for business owners. See: LitterFreeNJ.com

Since the law went into effect, it has been widely reported that billions of plastic bags have been removed from New Jersey’s waterways, public lands and the waste stream.

“Working together at both the state and grassroots levels, we have drastically changed consumer behavior in New Jersey in a tremendously short amount of time,” Gemenden said. “The Monmouth University poll re-enforced what we all know: the landmark bag ban bill in New Jersey has been a tremendous success.”

Photo: Mr.TinMD