What South Jersey Food Shoppers Can Expect Now That Plastic Bag Ban In Effect

NEW JERSEY — New Jersey's extensive but not exhaustive plastic bag ban went into effect immediately after midnight on Wednesday.

Therefore, whether you were ready or not, whether your favorite store was ready or not, the items bought at certain retail stores, food service businesses and grocery stores will no longer be placed in a plastic bag.

"We are currently working with supermarkets, grocery stores, restaurants to make sure that they know what's coming down the pipe so that everybody's not confused," Paschal Nwako, PhD, MPH, Camden County Health Officer and Public Health Coordinator said during a Camden County Commissioners' Forum last week.

In the coming months, Camden County will be sending out inspectors to ensure applicable businesses are in compliance with the law, according to Nwako. Although violators of the plastic bag bans face fines, he said he sincerely hoped things did not reach that point.

"We do not want to [make] people lose their livelihood and go out of business. That's why we want everybody to be in compliance," Nwako said.

What does being compliant mean?

ShopRite, which is one of the latest supermarket chains in South Jersey, says it does not mean you can go back to expecting its store clerks to offer paper bags. The company says on its Facebook page it will not offer customers paper bags any more either.

"As a convenience for those who do not bring their own bags to the store, our popular Everyday Tote Bag and a sturdy reusable carryout bag will be available for purchase," according to the company's Facebook page. "Online orders — both delivery and pickup — will be charged a flat fee of $1.50, which covers as many bags as necessary to properly bag an entire order."

But that does not mean all stores will stop using paper bags, according to Camden County Commissioner Jeffrey Nash.

"Single use paper carry out bags will not be allowed to be provided or sold except by stores that are equal in size to 2,500 square feet, which means for most of us going to the larger supermarkets in our community, they will have paper bags to carry out your food to purchase," he said.

However, Nash went onto say that "we are encouraging all shoppers to go out and get usable, reusable bags."

Click on the link of municipality most applicable to you for Patch's list of places that were distributing totes and may still have some available.

• Cherry Hill
• Cinnaminson
• Collingswood
• Gloucester Township
• Haddonfield
• Moorestown
• West Deptford

More information about the plastic bag ban can be found by visiting https://bagupnj.com/.

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