After many years of being in the middle of policy discussions on single use paper and plastic bags, and polystyrene, this landmark plastic legislation, signed by Governor Phil Murphy on November 4, 2020, went into effect in New Jersey in early May.
We can all be immensely proud that New Jersey now has the most groundbreaking bag ban and plastic law in the nation. Our legacy for years to come will be our industry’s steadfast commitment to the environment and taking a stand against the plastic pollution that has become a worldwide menace.
May 4 was the culmination of the hard work of many individuals and member companies within the New Jersey Food Council (NJFC) and our strong partners: the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the New Jersey Clean Communities Council and the New Jersey Business Action Center.
At the New Jersey Food Council, we have initiated every tool to be certain our members are informed of the new law. We held numerous working group sessions to toil through compliance, hosted webinars to educate members, distributed guidance and clarifications on the law to members and the public, produced public service announcements for in-store systems and radio stations, uploaded member podcast, highlighted the effort in our weekly newsletter, completed countless media interviews, posted regular social media messaging, served as a sounding board for members, participated in regular meetings with our government partners to address member questions and concerns, placed a countdown clock on our web-site and supported a tool kit of resources on our web-site for member downloads to promote the law to their associates and customers.
It has been a complete effort and campaign in which we have reached millions of New Jersey residents and all food retailers with this important message over a relatively short period of time.
While we acknowledge the law will be a challenge to our growing eCommerce shopping platforms, members are already developing innovation solutions.
I want to pause for a moment to express my appreciation to the many NJFC members, board of directors, working groups, and government partners who have played such a significant role in this overall effort, as well as reflect on the meaning of what we – together – have accomplished for the future of New Jersey.
This is truly a remarkable moment and a milestone in the history of the NJ food retail business as the Garden State moves toward a more sustainable environment for generations to come.