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Starting May 4, grocery stores 2,500 square feet or larger will no longer be able to hand out or sell single-use plastic bags in New Jersey. It’s all part of the Get Past Plastic initiative which is something New Jersey Family’s very first Mompreneur of the Year winner, Deanna Taylor-Heacock, founder of the Good Bottle Refill Shop in Maplewood, is passionate about.
“At Good Bottle, you can bring your own containers or buy one from us,” says Taylor-Heacock. “We sell soaps, detergents, cleaning products and bath and body products in bulk. We sell everything by the ounce so you can buy as little or as much as you like. We also carry an assortment of unique zero waste lifestyle products intended to help you reduce your consumption of single-use items.”
Now grocery stores will need to adopt the policies that Taylor-Heacock already lives by. Since most grocery stores are well above 2,500 square feet, expect to start bringing your own bags when you go shopping next week.
So what do you need to know before you go?
“Starting May 4, 2022, New Jersey retail stores, grocery stores and food service businesses may not provide or sell single-use plastic carryout bags and polystyrene foam food service products,” says the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection on their website. “Single-use paper carryout bags are allowed to be provided or sold, except by grocery stores equal to or larger than 2500 square feet, which may only provide or sell reusable carryout bags. After November 4, 2021, plastic straws may be provided only upon the request of the customer.”
Many NJ restaurants say it will be difficult to forgo handing out bags. Smaller stores such as bodegas, convenience stores and boutiques can still offer paper bags but the state is encouraging all businesses to go with reusable options.
ALDI, which has 50 locations across NJ, has never offered bags. But other grocery chains are posting notices by cash registers and taking to social media to remind customers of the bag ban.
Here’s what else you need to know:
What type of bags can I bring to the store? Any kind! You can bring a reusable bag or any of the plastic bags you’ve stored up. The law applies to what stores can give you or sell to you—not to what you can bring. You can also opt to wheel your groceries out to your car and just load them in.
How will this impact online grocery orders? According to the DEP, stores can put your items in a cardboard box or offer reusable bags to you. Some stores may implement fees to cover the costs of the bags. Some stores may take back extra reusable bags through a bag return program.
Can I buy a bag if I forget? No. Unlike laws in other states which allow customers to purchase a plastic bag for a fee, NJ has outlawed giving our or selling plastic bags. So bring your own. (And please don’t yell at the cashier—they didn’t make the law.)
Where can I get a reusable bag? Most stores sell them. Some, like Target, have been giving them out to customers leading up to the ban.
How should I wash my reusable bag? Turn the bag inside out and wash it in hot water in the washing machine.
What else can I do to be more eco-friendly? When it comes to kids’ lunches, consider using reusable containers for sandwiches, meals and snacks instead of plastic baggies. Use a lunch box or reusable insulated bag instead of a paper bag that gets thrown out.
For more information, visit NJDEP.
