New Jersey’s Plastic Bag Ban is a Stunning Failure

When I moved back to New Jersey just over a year ago, I was living in a hotel until I found an apartment.  So my first night back, I went to ShopRite to stock up on stuff.  I loaded my stuff on the self-checkout lane and scanned each item.

I noticed there were no bags, so I informed one of the clerks that we needed bags in my lane.  He asked me how many.  That seemed like an odd question to ask, but I asked how many do you usually put out.  He said, three for 5 dollars.

At that point, it was clear there was a disconnect between us.  That was my introduction to the stupid bag law we have in Jersey.  Don't get me wrong, I want a clean environment, but this seemed like a weird law.

Am I the only one who foresees the day when we hear that we have an issue with the shopping bags we're forced to buy?  I know I'm not the only one who has a closet full of those bags.

Now, it appears some experts agree with my assessment of the law.

According to a study by Freedonia Group, while single-use bag consumption is down dramatically, we now use six times more reusable bags which are made from materials that are not recyclable.

Are Reusable Bags Better

Most of the reusable bags we're using are made of non-woven polypropylene.  The new bags made with polypropylene have reportedly caused a 500% increase in greenhouse gas emissions.  Not only that, but these alternative bags require 15 times more plastic and cause more greenhouse gas during the production of each bag than the old plastic bags.

Since the Ban, Plastic Consumption Rises

We were told the goal was to cut plastic consumption in the state.  However, this report estimates our plastic consumption has dramatically risen.  We've gone from using 53 million pounds of plastic to over 150 million since this law went into effect.

Reusable Bags Have Been a Boon for Retailers

Oh, and here's another finding in the report.  Retailers are said to be able to make money in this deal.  Some retailers, according to a story on foxnews.com, can generate as much as $200,000/yr at a single location by selling reusable bags.

Blue state’s bag ban meant to save environment backfires at staggering rate: study | Fox News