Plastic consumption in New Jersey nearly tripled after the state implemented a strict ban on single-use plastic shopping bags, a study found.
Freedonia Custom Research (FCR), the business research arm of MarketResearch.com, says, “Following New Jersey's single-use bag ban, the shift from plastic film to alternative bags has nearly tripled plastic consumption in bags. “increased.'' Research published this month.
New Jersey enacted a ban on single-use plastic bags in 2022, the nation's strictest ban at the time, in an effort to reduce the amount of single-use plastic bags piling up in landfills.
“Plastic bags are one of the most problematic forms of waste, with millions of bags discarded each year, ending up in landfills and rivers,” Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy said after signing the bag ban into law in 2020. , flowing into the sea.” “With today's historic bill signing, we are tackling the problem of plastic pollution head-on with solutions that will help mitigate climate change and strengthen the environment for future generations.”
New Jersey lawmaker considers adjusting plastic bag ban as reusable bag plan causes 'problems'
Governor Phil Murphy delivers the State of the Union address at the New Jersey State Capitol in Trenton on January 10, 2023. (Aristide Economopoulos/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The ban went into effect in May 2022 and prohibited big box stores, grocery stores, and food service establishments from providing single-use plastic bags to customers. Instead, shoppers can purchase reusable bags made from polypropylene plastic woven and non-woven fabrics or bring previously purchased reusable bags into the store.
But due to repeated purchases of reusable bags at the grocery store or grocery delivery services that use new reusable bags, reusable bags are piling up at home. It wasn't long before customers began voicing their displeasure in local media. each drop off.
New Jersey's plastic bag ban: What you need to know
“I keep it in my basement,” one New Jersey mother told NJ Advance Media in 2022. She says, “I keep another bag by the door for when I go to the farmers market. Most of them are new and have tags.'' She uses them once but doesn't throw them away. ”
A man is sitting on a bench next to plastic bags. (Vittorio Zunino Cerotto/Getty Images)
Some Garden State lawmakers were quick to acknowledge the problem with shoppers simply throwing away reusable bags instead of reusing them, prompting delivery services to offer cardboard boxes and paper bags instead of heavy reusable plastic bags. proposed amendments that have clearly stalled, such as mandating the use of
Several cities suspend plastic bag bans due to coronavirus pandemic
Rather than having the intended environmentally beneficial impact, bans on reusable bags are actually backfiring, data shows. reported in research show. Plastic consumption in the state has nearly tripled, with New Jerseyans consuming 53 million pounds of plastic before the ban, compared to 151 million pounds after the ban, FCR researchers say. reported.
Shoppers leave their stories by placing their items in reusable plastic bags. (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)
Reusable bags made from non-woven polypropylene are much thicker and contain about 15 times the amount of plastic than typical single-use plastic bags commonly sold at grocery and convenience stores. The research results have been reported. These bags are made for repeated shopping, but most New Jerseyans reuse their bags only two or three times before throwing them away.
New York's plastic bag ban frustrates many shoppers
”[Six times] More woven and non-woven polypropylene plastics were consumed to produce reusable bags sold to consumers as an alternative. Most of these alternative bags are made from non-woven polypropylene, which is not widely recycled in the United States and typically does not contain post-consumer recycled materials. This material change also has a significant environmental impact, with increased consumption of polypropylene bags increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 500% compared to production of non-woven polypropylene bags in 2015. Did. ” reports the study.
A man carries items in plastic bags outside a department store. (Romeo Gacado/AFP via Getty Images)
Researchers found that shoppers would need to reuse their bags at least 16 times to have a positive impact on the environment and the state's plastic consumption.
And since the ban went into effect, reusable bags have provided a windfall for retailers, with researchers finding that the average retailer could earn up to $200,000 a year in one location. I discovered.
Click here for the FOX News app
Fox News Digital reached out to Governor Murphy's office for comment on the study, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
New Jersey is just one of a handful of states that has implemented a plastic bag ban to discourage plastic consumption and benefit the environment. States such as Vermont, Oregon, and California have their own versions of bans on single-use plastic bags.
