Paper or plastic? Starting Wednesday in New Jersey, the answer to that question is neither, so shoppers better bring bags from home to the grocery store.
That's because the state's plastic bag ban is now in effect, and it goes beyond just single-use plastic bags at the grocery checkout.
All grocery stores over 2,500 square feet will be banned from giving out or selling both the plastic and paper bags that have been staples at checkouts for decades. Styrofoam containers, like the ones used for take-out food, will also be banned as the nation's strictest plastics laws go into effect.
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The ban applies to stores and restaurants, not consumers, who will still be able to buy plastic baggies, garbage bags and the like.
Clean Ocean Action has been fighting for decades to ban the plastics that, lightweight as they are, amount to millions of pounds of trash every year, winding up in oceans and landfills without breaking down. The new law hopes to take a chunk out of the number of plastic bags used by New Jersey residents, which previously had been about 4.4 billion a year.
Stew Leonards' stores, like the one in Paramus, have been using environmentally friendly paper bags for thirty years, but next week, those too will be no more.
"You can still use it for meats, produce. I think it's a great way to take care of the environment, so New Jersey is trying to lead the charge on this and other states will follow soon," said the store's manager, Dane Morris.
The store has spent months prepping its shoppers for the change, offering half price reusable bags for the weeks leading up to and following the switch.
"We tell everyone because you don't want them to be unprepared next week — pack the stuff in the cart and take it out to their car," said cashier Vinny Serra. "We all tell them when the ban starts, got the sign right here, sign outside the store."
Some stores were giving away free grocery tote bags in recent days and weeks. While getting one is not exactly like winning the lottery, for most shoppers the reusable bags will be key to bringing home the bacon — along with all the other groceries.
Stores like Stop & Shop have said after giving away free bags, it will sell cheaper bags for just 50 cents, and the store suggests that no customer will be denied a way to get their groceries home.
It will certainly take some getting used to, but when shoppers go inside after next week, be prepared to BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag, that is) because the cashier won’t have a bag to put groceries into.
Those who wish to continue using their own paper or plastic bags can do so if they bring them on their own, but the grocery stores themselves will not be able to provide them any longer.
