Ridgewood Moves Toward Banning Single-Use Plastic Bags

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — Single-use plastic bags are one step closer to being banned in Ridgewood.

The Village Council introduced an ordinance Wednesday banning retailers and restaurants from offering single-use plastic bags beginning Jan. 1, 2020. The council will hold a final vote on the ordinance June 12.

Businesses that provide single-use plastic bags would be fined by the village. Bags used to store produce at grocery stores are not included in the ban, said Mayor Ramon Hache.

Many local businesses already offer more environmentally-friendly packaging, said Scott Lief, president of the Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce. Because plastic bags may leak, some village restaurants are already experimenting with other packaging options.

"The one shadow issue facing many of those making the conversion to greener packaging is the leftover plastics," said Lief. "Many retailers tend to buy in bulk, and they are sitting on stock."

The ban could create a problem for businesses like Sook Pastry.

No one will want to use a paper bag the bakery could charge customers for, Izzy Yanay at Sook said. She also wondered what exactly "single-use" means.

"I'd imagine that it depends on the thickness of the bag," Yanay said. "If the ordinance passes, and I believe it will, we'll have to get organized with paper bags, instead of our 'T-shirt' bags."

Hache said the ban is about protecting the environment.

"It is the really thin, cheap bags, the very flimsy ones that tend to break very easily," Hache said. "For us, it's really about recognizing that single-use plastic bags have a very adverse impact on the environment. As a society, we've done enough damage to our parks, waterways, and landfills."

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com