BagUp NJ
TRENTON New Jersey Secretary of State Tahesha Way and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette are joining forces today to encourage Garden State business owners to prepare for the launch of New Jersey's ban on single-use carryout bags and polystyrene foam food service products in stores and food service businesses.
On Nov. 4, 2020, Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law P.L. 2020, c117, which prohibits the use of single-use plastic carryout bags in all stores and food service businesses statewide and single-use paper carryout bags in grocery stores that occupy at least 2,500 square feet beginning May 4, 2022. The law is designed to reduce pollution and protect New Jersey's environment and economy for generations to come.
With the enactment of the single-use plastic ban, New Jersey, is again leading in protecting our environment, communities, and economy, DEP Acting Commissioner LaTourette said. Resistant to natural degradation, single-use plastics have long littered our communities and harmed our waterways and the wildlife that depend on them. Plastic pollution also has a detrimental effect on character of our communities and damages important industries like tourism and fishingboth major contributors to New Jersey's economy. The steps we take together to reduce plastic pollution will improve quality of life for all New Jersey residents.
We love New Jersey beaches, forests and waterways, and we want to protect them for current and future resident and visitors to enjoy, Way said. We're here to support New Jersey's businesses as they make the transition to reusable bags. We understand that these changes take time. We'll be here to help business owners understand the law and answer any question they may have as we look ahead to May 2022.
Beginning May 4, 2022, New Jersey businesses may not sell or provide single-use plastic carryout bags to their customers. Those businesses that decide to sell or provide reusable carryout bags must ensure that the bags meet the requirements as defined in the law.
The law defines reusable bags as ones that:
Future resources for businesses on the website will include a listing of vendors who sell reusable carryout bags that meet the new requirements. In addition, the NJBAC will be conducting virtual roundtables discussing implementation of the law with chambers of commerce and other business organizations around the state.
Under the new law, polystyrene foam food service products and foods sold or provided in polystyrene foam food service products will also be banned as of May 4, 2022, and food service businesses will only be allowed to provide single-use plastic straws by request starting Nov. 4, 2021.
However, the following products will be exempt for an additional two years, until May 4, 2024:
