By Anthony V. Coppola
Although a bill has been introduced in the state Legislature to make New Jersey the first state to ban plastic shopping bags, some businesses are already thinking and operating proactively.
The proposed Plastic Bag Recycling Act (A4555) was introduced on Nov. 20 and is now awaiting review by the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee. It would institute mandatory in-store recycling programs for retail outlets with a minimum of 10,000 square feet of space, according to a press release issued by the legislation’s sponsors, Assemblymen Herb Conaway and Jack Conners, D-7th. Smaller stores can volunteer to participate in the recycling program, but would not be required by law to do so.
The bill would require large retail stores to cut the number of plastic bags given to customers by 50 percent by the end of 2009, and eliminate them completely by Dec. 31, 2010.
According to the bill, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide, and they account for 90 percent of grocery bags in the United States. Nonbiodegradable bags take longer to deteriorate than paper bags and kill countless land and marine animals, according to the press release.
Karen Deets, owner of the Off the Wall Craft Gallery at 42 S. Main St. in Allentown, said plastic bags have never been used in her store because it conflicts with its gallery image. According to Ms. Deets, Off the Wall sells American handcrafted merchandise, using natural and real materials, such as clay, leather, wood, glass, silver, gold, stones and steel. Ms. Deets said her products are wrapped in Kraft colored packaging paper to avoid using plastics.
“When I go to grocery stores, I request paper and prefer things not be double bagged with plastic,” Ms. Deets noted.
Ms. Deets said she does recycle plastic bags into bins at grocery stores that offer the container, but said her store is probably too small to house a similar box of its own. She also indicated a concern for wildlife, citing the damage plastic six-pack beverage rings present to the environment.
Ms. Deets expressed reservation in New Jersey being the first state to potentially institute a ban.
“New Jersey is not known for such environmentally motivated legislation, and I am always suspicious of some other agenda,” Ms. Deets said. “Greed seems to be the dominant reason for so much of what goes on in New Jersey.”
According to Ms. Deets, the state has to look at the bigger picture in terms of helping the environment.
“Paper bags are more expensive to buy. Plastic bags should be recycled,” she said. “But is it necessary to ban them? I don’t think so. Why not focus on pollution, recycling, land preservation and animal issues?” Other business owners are trying to offer bags their customers can reuse.
Rose Lucia, who owns Gifted, a store located in the Foxmoor Shopping Center in Robbinsville, said her products are packaged in a durable plastic bag intended for recycling.
“A lot of our customers buy gifts and give them to people in the bag we offer,” Ms. Lucia said. “I’ve also known customers to keep them for things like transporting their lunch to work.”
Ms. Lucia said the idea of recycling plastic supermarket is a good idea, and the use of a canvas bag would be beneficial to the environment despite the inconvenience.
“I think it would be great to use them,” Ms. Lucia said. “It would just be laziness not to. No one wants to have to remember to bring their own bags to the grocery store.”
Some grocery stores, like Marrazzo’s Thriftway in that same shopping center, are remaining mum on the issue. Store owner Marty Reeser said it’s too early to speculate on the pending law.
“I’m aware of the potential ban, but plastic bags are a sensitive issue with our customers, and I have no comment at this time,” he said.

