Why Do Some People in New Jersey Suddenly Have Bags and Bags of Bags?

New York Times via Yahoo ^ | September 1, 2022 | Clare Toeniskoetter

[grundle]

Nicole Kramaritsch of Roxbury, New Jersey, has 46 bags just sitting in her garage. Brian Otto has 101 of them, so many that he’s considering sewing them into blackout curtains for his baby’s bedroom. (So far, that idea has gone nowhere.) Lili Mannuzza in Whippany has 74.

“I don’t know what to do with all these bags,” she said.

The mountains of bags are an unintended consequence of New Jersey’s strict new bag ban in supermarkets. It went into effect in May and prohibits not only plastic bags but paper bags as well. The well-intentioned law seeks to cut down on waste and single-use plastics, but for many people who rely on grocery delivery and curbside pickup services their orders now come in heavy-duty reusable shopping bags — lots and lots of them, week after week.

While nearly a dozen states nationwide have implemented restrictions on single-use plastic bags, New Jersey is the only one to ban paper bags because of their environmental impact. The law also bans polystyrene foam food containers and cups, and restricts restaurants from handing out plastic straws unless they’re requested.

Compared to single-use plastics, the more durable reusable bags are better for the environment only if they are actually reused. According to Shelie Miller, a professor at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability, a typical reusable bag, manufactured from polypropylene, must be used at least 10 times to account for the additional energy and material required to make it. For cotton totes, that number is much higher.

[dis.kevin]

I saw this recently...
“Let me get this straight. I go to the grocery store and buy a lb of ham wrapped in plastic, a loaf of bread in a plastic bag, a gallon of milk in a plastic jug, a pack of napkins wrapped in plastic, a Greek salad in a plastic container, a plastic bottle of ketchup and a plastic bottle of mustard, and they won’t give me a plastic bag to carry it home in because the plastic bag is bad for the environment?”

[ConservativeInPA]

Grow a set. Apparently you see yourself as one of the morons in NJ.

[JayGalt]

Grow your own set.

[mware]

Our local Shot Rite has a large sign visual from 1/2 a parking lot away. "Don't forget to bring in your bags" Even with this sign you see people half way into the store, curse and head back to their cars. I had to laugh when one guy said on loud, " Damn you Murphy."

Another thing I've noticed is people walking out with the store owned individual container. Sure more expensive then a 15 cent plastic bag.

[ansel12]

Do we have to go to yahoo first to get to the NYTs article?

[Robert A Cook PE]

Grocery bags, left unused and folded up for even a few days, become excellent roach and mouse havens!