Aiming to discourage the use of single-use plastic bags, Hopewell Borough officials plan to approach the owners of convenience stores and ask them whether they can offer alternatives to the plastic bags.
The topic of single-use plastic bags and a potential ban on them in town was raised at a Borough Council meeting earlier this month. No decision has been made.
Borough Council President Schuyler Morehouse said a ban on plastic bags would be a “tough sell.” He suggested asking patrons to be more concerned and to decline the use of a plastic bag. Patrons should switch to reusable bags, he said.
When Mayor Paul Anzano asked council members about a potential ban on the use of plastic bags in the borough, Councilman Ryan Kennedy reminded the council that Mercer County voters rejected a similar proposal in a non-binding referendum several years ago.
Meanwhile, Gov. Phil Murphy has a bill on his desk that was approved by the Legislature on June 21. If the bill is signed into law by Murphy, it would discourage the use of single-use plastic and paper bags by implementing a five-cent fee on each bag, effective Oct. 1.
The bill would apply to drug stores, supermarkets and retail stores that have more than 2,000 square feet and that provide plastic or paper carryout bags to customers as a result of a sale. The bill would also apply to retail chains that have 10 or more stores.
There is an exemption from the five-cent fee if the purchaser is enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) or the Work First New Jersey program.
Fees generated by the bill would be used by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for lead abatement in schools and communities. This includes removing and replacing water fountains, plumbing and pipes that contain lead, as well as stripping lead paint from schools and homes.
The DEP would consult with the state Department of Education, the state Department of Community Affairs and the state Department of Health in carrying out the lead abatement program.