Aug. 28, 2018

On August 27th Phil Murphy, Governor of New Jersey, USA, announced the veto of the 5-cent bills for plastic bags and paper bags passed by the state legislature before.

Murphy deems that a charge of 5 cents for single-use plastic bags at grocery stores is not enough to solve the problems caused by over-reliance on plastic bags and other disposable handbags. California Governor Jerry Brown is considering whether to sign a ban on the use of plastic straws. Murphy wants New Jersey to be more like California. Environmental organizations have different opinions on Murphy’s veto.

Matt Seaholm, executive director of Plastics Industry Association, APBA, said bans and taxes make the price of groceries more expensive for families and the elderly. The New Jersey Food Council, representing the state's grocery stores and food retailers, supports the statewide fee proposal.

However, environmentalists who oppose the bill praise Murphy for stricter regulations. Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, said that the ban on plastic bags has proven to be the most effective practice. It’s actually good for the environment because fees cannot work as well as a ban. In Los Angeles, for example, disposable plastic bags have been reduced by 94% and paper bags reduced by 30% due to the extra charge of 10 cents after legislation. Linda Doherty, the group's president, said we believe that the proposed fee on single-use bags is the most effective solution for reducing both paper and plastic bags in solid waste streams and also the first step towards the ban on plastic bags.