LETTER: Plastic bag ban should be a statewide policy issue

EDITOR: In response to your editorial, "Plastic bag ban is not a partisan issue" (Chatham Courier, Sept. 19, page 4), you are correct that there is plenty of confusion around the issue of banning plastic bags in New Jersey.

As President of the New Jersey Food Council, the statewide trade association of the food retail and distribution industry, we have been vocal advocates for promoting sustainability and environmental leadership. This is why we have partnered with the New Jersey Clean Communities Council in the “Choose to Reuse” campaign. This effort encourages shoppers to bring their reusable bags, and if they use a plastic or paper bag, to reuse that bag as well.

Leaders in the food industry support a uniform statewide solution to the disposal single-use bag issue. Over the past two years, we have watched various municipalities enact disposable bag bans and fees with different requirements, definitions and effective dates. This has created an onerous and unworkable thicket of local ordinances for retailers who have established businesses throughout the state and shoppers traveling from town to town.

While well-intentioned, the impact of a patchwork of municipal laws affects a retailer’s economic competitiveness. Because of New Jersey’s dense population, consumers have plenty of shopping options, including online purchasing. If one town has a ban or fee, while the neighboring town does not, sophisticated shoppers or even customers who forgot their reusable bags may choose to shop elsewhere simply for the convenience of avoiding a municipal ordinance on bags.

Although about 60 towns now have ordinances relating to single-use bags, roughly 500 towns do not. That means New Jerseyans continue to use plastic and paper bags across 90 percent of the state. In fact, while plastic bags are thought to be more environmentally hazardous, paper bags are actually worse for the environment. Not only does paper bag manufacturing have significant environmental impacts, but the emissions relating to the trucking and transportation of the raw materials and finished products are massive.

No one is winning under the current scenario; not businesses, consumers, or the environment. The New Jersey Food Council, the Clean Communities Council and like-minded partners are therefore continuing our efforts to support a statewide legislative initiative to eliminate both plastic and paper disposable bags throughout New Jersey and make reusable bags the commonplace alternative.

We hope business, government and sustainability organizations all work together to educate consumers about the importance of advancing this effort and to advocate for a statewide solution.

In the interim, it is our hope that well-intentioned municipal officials refrain from passing local ordinances on single-use plastic bags, and instead focus their efforts on getting the New Jersey Legislature and Gov. Phil Murphy to act. Together, let’s embrace a sound environmental policy that can be equally applied across New Jersey -- to end the use of disposable bags and support reusable bags.

LINDA DOHERTY
President
New Jersey Food Council
Trenton

- This editorial was originally published in the Chatham Courier, September 25, 2019.