Initiative Aimed to Prepare Local Business Owners for Upcoming State Paper, Plastic Bag Ban Could Help Newark
NEWARK, NJ — New Jersey organizations are coming together to outline what business owners across the state, including in Newark, need to know when a ban on paper and plastic bags at larger stores goes into effect in May 2022.
Representatives from the New Jersey Clean Communities Council (NJCCC), a nonprofit litter abatement organization, teamed up with the Newark Regional Business Partnership (NRBP) on Tuesday to host a virtual meeting to discuss the launch of the council’s statewide “Bag Up NJ” campaign. The initiative urges consumers to shop with re-usable bags when they visit stores.
The meeting also brought together several local partners, including Invest Newark, the city’s Sustainability Office, and the New Jersey Business Action Center, to provide city business owners with various resources they can turn to in preparation for the paper and plastic bag ban this spring.
“We were pleased to be part of such a worthwhile discussion about the economic and environmental impact of litter on communities and the benefits that this legislation will hopefully have on reducing litter,” said NJ Clean Communities Council Executive Director JoAnn Gemenden.
The legislation, which was signed in November 2020 and will go into effect May 4, 2022, bans single-use plastic bags in all stores and food-service businesses statewide. It also prohibits paper bags in grocery stores larger than 2,500-square-feet, as well as large retailers like Target and Walmart. Additionally, the ban applies to polystyrene food containers, cups and other items. The bill also addresses single-use plastic straws, requiring restaurants to provide them only upon request.
The reasoning behind the legislation is to cut down on plastic pollution in New Jersey communities that can both indirectly and directly impact the environment and communities. As litter breaks down in the environment, by-products, chemicals and microparticles are released, affecting the quality of life for humans and wildlife. Americans use around 380 billion plastic bags and wraps each year, only about 5% of which are recycled, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
While countless reports highlighting the impact plastics that end up in the environment can have on wildlife and ecosystems, those same plastics that end up in public and private properties can also impact businesses, according to Invest Newark Senior Vice President of Business Development Vanessa Quijano.
“Cleanliness really attributes to the economy,” said Quijano. “It invites people to the area and also makes the community feel good.”
Invest Newark, a nonprofit that works to create economic opportunities for area residents and businesses, is just one of several local organizations that plan to assist city business owners with the looming paper and plastic bag ban.
As part of the organization's work in the city, it helps businesses of all sizes from startups to large corporations with various services such as guidance through certificates of occupancy, licensing, permitting, and loan and grant assistance. The organization also works with the city’s special improvement districts and business improvement districts.
“We look forward to working with those businesses in those districts and throughout Newark when it comes to this plastic bag ban policy or any other legislative policies from the state or municipality to assist businesses, to ensure they meet those legislations, and, hopefully, surpass them,” said Quijano.
Around the Greater Newark area, plastics and polystyrene made up as much as 60% of the litter in the Passaic River and surrounding waterways, according to Nathaly Agosto Filión, chief officer of the city’s Office of Sustainability.
“It’s sometimes a larger issue than people acknowledge,” Filión said during the meeting. “It’s the number one complaint that we hear as part of my sustainability action plan engagement has been litter and illegal dumping and things like that that cause that sort of perception that we have on Newark streets.”
A number of major businesses and other entities in the state have already expressed interest in the Bag Up NJ Business Partnership Program, according to Gemenden. As part of the initiative, the NJCCC develops sponsorship opportunities to generate revenue for the distribution of reusable bags.
As part of the presentation, Gemenden also discussed the statewide launch of NJCCC’s “Skip the Straw” initiative and referred participants to the campaign website here.
Additionally, the New Jersey Business Action Center provides free resources to businesses in the state regarding the single-use plastic ban and hosts a Vendor Clearinghouse resource for businesses trying to identify environmentally-sound products for purchase as well as a live chat feature on its website, business.nj.gov.
“This Business Partnership Program is ideal for Newark businesses, as well,” said Gemenden. “There will be a strong need to educate Newark residents about the upcoming bag ban and how best to comply. By coordinating free bag distributions throughout Newark, in partnership with local corporations, we can create a tremendous citywide educational initiative.”
To learn more about Bag Up NJ, visit its website BagUpNJ.com. For opportunities in the Business Partnership Program, call the NJCCC office at 609-989-5900 or email
Original Article Published on TAPinto Newark.