New Jersey Legislature Passes ‘Most Comprehensive’ Plastics Ban in the Nation

By Olivia Rosane | 9/25/20 | EcoWatch

New Jersey is one step closer to passing what environmental advocates say is the strongest anti-plastic legislation in the nation.

The state Legislature passed a sweeping measure Thursday that would ban plastic bags from stores and restaurants and single-use food and drink containers made from polystyrene foam, The New York Times reported. The ban is noteworthy for being the first in the country to include supermarket paper bags as well as plastic ones.

"This is the single most comprehensive plastics and paper reduction bill in the nation," former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator and Beyond Plastics President Judith Enck said in a statement published by Insider NJ. "Building on the success of local laws adopted throughout New Jersey to reduce plastic pollution, the NJ State Legislature listened to the people and not the polluters and embraced a sensible environmental strategy." Read more >>