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

A plastic bag caught in a tree in New Jersey’s Palisades Park. James Leynse / Stone / Getty Images 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." The bill now passes to Gov. Philip Murphy, who intends to sign it, a spokesperson told The New York Times. The bans on bags and containers will go into effect 18 months after he does […]

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