New Jersey (KYW Newsradio) — In the one year that New Jersey implemented one of the strongest bans on single-use plastics in the country, most people say they have adjusted to the new normal.
The law was authored by State Senator Bob Smith in 2022 and has removed an estimated 9 billion bags in the state since. He hopes to replace that number with an equal amount of paper bags.
“We had a very good year in cleaning up New Jersey’s environment, at least on this issue,” he said.
Smith says the results of the ban are farily obvious, as you don’t see plastic bags blocking storm drains or hanging in trees anymore. And, while some people complained at first, and some still do, he says feedback on this has been great in general.
“I don’t get 100 percent, but I get, like, 70 percent of people saying this was a really good idea and we should have done it sooner.”
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Most shoppers, like Tanisha, seem to have adjusted one way or another to the ban, and have even come up with a system of their own for grocery trips.
“Take maybe four or five bags with me when I go out into the store. I just keep my bags in my trunk,” Tanisha said.
And she added that, through the course of the year, she has noticed fewer bags floating around town, which she says is good.
Smith says lawmakers aren’t done yet, and they are exploring the idea of a ban on plastic eating utensils.
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