New Jersey

TexasTowelie

(116,766 posts) Sun Aug 26, 2018, 02:23 AM Aug 2018

Gov. Murphy rejects 5-cent fee on plastic bags in New Jersey

Gov. Phil Murphy plans to veto a bill that would have instituted a five-cent fee on single-use plastic and paper bags in New Jersey.

State Sen. Bob Smith, D-Middlesex, announced the impending veto Thursday during a joint legislative hearing in Toms River to discuss the options to reduce plastic waste including bags, straws and micro-plastics.

Parts of the room erupted in cheers at the announcement including academics and environmentalists who favor an outright ban on plastic bags rather than a fee. The Sierra Club, among others, support a ban instead of a fee.

As the bill remained pending, several towns rushed to issue plastic bans so their stricter regulations would be grandfathered in if the 5-cent fee statewide bill were signed. Now, they can have more time to establish those stricter bans, said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

Read more: https://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2018/08/gov_murphy_trashes_plastic_bag_fee_for_nj_with_vet.html

6 replies

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Gov. Murphy rejects 5-cent fee on plastic bags in New Jersey (Original Post) TexasTowelie Aug 2018 OP

Kroger here in Atlanta is getting rid of plastic bags. Cattledog Aug 2018 #1

Austin put a law into effect that did that a few years ago. TexasTowelie Aug 2018 #2

We've had the plastic bag charge here in Ireland for over a decade and it works great, OnDoutside Aug 2018 #3

Just bring your own reusable bags to the grocery store... it's really not that hard! InAbLuEsTaTe Aug 2018 #4

Yes, we got used to it very easily, and straight away reduced those sort of grocery OnDoutside Aug 2018 #5

Amazing... and so easy. Should be the law in every country... like yesterday. InAbLuEsTaTe Aug 2018 #6

Cattledog

(6,338 posts)

1. Kroger here in Atlanta is getting rid of plastic bags.

Reply to TexasTowelie (Original post)

Sun Aug 26, 2018, 02:45 AM

Aug 2018

Hopefully others will follow.

TexasTowelie

(116,766 posts)

2. Austin put a law into effect that did that a few years ago.

Reply to Cattledog (Reply #1)

Sun Aug 26, 2018, 03:03 AM

Aug 2018

The after effect was that a lot of convenience stores stopped keeping either plastic or paper bags so that the shopper couldn't pay the nickel, but had to buy a more expensive bag instead. I forgot about the new law when I came in for a visit on the bus and went to purchase three or four items and not be able to get a bag to carry those items out without spending another $3.

I'm for protecting the environment, recycling, and picking up my litter, but sometimes the unintended consequences of legislation sometimes backfire.

OnDoutside

(20,656 posts)

3. We've had the plastic bag charge here in Ireland for over a decade and it works great,

Reply to TexasTowelie (Original post)

Sun Aug 26, 2018, 03:45 AM

Aug 2018

It didn't take much to adjust. It was about 5c initially but now is about 35c a bag, though you can get sturdy reusable bags for around the same price. If I've bought 6 of those disposable bags in 10 years, it would be a lot.

A bit shortsighted by Murphy as the evidence is there to support its introduction.