Jersey City to Consider Law Banning Most Plastic Bags

By • Oct 21st, 2010 • Category: Blog, News, Politics

UPDATE, OCTOBER 23: We’ve added the actual proposal to the bottom of this story, for those of you who are interested in the specifics.

In a rare moment of agreement, the Healy administration and Ward E councilman Steven Fulop are aligning behind a proposed bill that would ban the use of most plastic bags in Jersey City. The Fulop-crafted measure, which should be considered by the City Council next week, would require the use of compostable plastic, recyclable paper, and/or reusable checkout bags by all stores located in Jersey City.

The idea of banning the plastic bag is not new; San Francisco, Los Angeles, Malibu and Oakland are among the cities that have already passed such legislation. And it is not new to Jersey City, either. Mayor Healy has talked about ridding the city of the scourge of the “urban tumbleweed,” as he likes to call the plastic bag, since at least early 2009.

Healy chose not to push the bags bill at the same time as the city’s four-ordinance package of “green” measures governing city purchasing and environmentally sensitive development, fearing potential opposition from local small businesses and merchant associations. But aides say the idea never left his head, and that he had recently decided the time was right to push it through the City Council.

At the same time, Fulop was working on legislation to require more environmentally sensitive bags; his ordinance is set to be the one taken up by the council next week.

“We have a responsibility to take care of the world around us. This legislation will force many necessary changes to protect our environment and lessen any negative impact,” Fulop says in a statement. “These plastic bags are often carelessly thrown on the ground creating unsightly litter, clogging the sewer systems, and endangering animals that could get trapped in them or consume them. This legislation is proof that Jersey City is taking steps to stay committed to waste reduction and actively supports environmental initiatives.”

Healy says that he’s on board with Fulop’s bill, and that it has his full support.

“Reducing the use of plastic bags in this city is an initiative that I have been passionate about and which this administration has been working on for some time,” Healy says in a statement. “We think this ordinance is a reasonable approach to that goal and look forward to working with councilman Fulop on moving this concept forward.”

Proposed Jersey City Plastic Bag Law

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is the founding editor of the Jersey City Independent; he now works for a public-policy nonprofit in Trenton.
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  • Eugene

    This probably won’t rid the city of “urban tumbleweeds” as I’m sure a good number of errant bags can be traced back to NYC store purchases made by commuters. Still, small steps. Good to see some progressive changes attempted on this side of the Hudson.

  • http://www.PunkRockKitchen.com Kate Kaye

    This is interesting. In Washington, D.C. a law went into effect recently requiring consumers to pay 5 cents per bag at stores selling food or liquor. The money goes to cleaning up the Anacostia River. Last time I was in D.C., a merchant told me it’s having a positive effect and she noticed a visible change in the river. As for shoppers, I think many just make sure they’ve got a tote bag on hand if they need it. More about the D.C. law: http://green.dc.gov/green/cwp/view,a,1248,q,463137,PM,1.asp

  • http://onejerseycity.org Dan Levin

    while it is encouraging that the initial vague idea from 2/09 is being revisited, sound legislation should be researched and vetted, not merely feel good. before going before council, outreach and feedback from impacted businesses and residents should occur. waiting until the council caucus or worse, the public hearing during the 2nd reading of an ordinance has proven time and time again to be insufficient as seen with the poorly thought out proposed revisions to the entertainment ordinance or the proposed tax payment plan that would have reduce the collection rate.

    before acting, local business should be consulted including the SIDs (special improvement districts) which represent impacted small retail businesses and a public hearing/meeting or better yet, feedback gathered at community meetings to help build consensus and create a workable ordinance that will achieve its objective(s).

    an outright ban may not be the best way to go at this time, instead taxing plastic bags can be more practical and given our current budget problems, a new source of revenue to our city. a tax attaches cost and value to use (and waste) of resources which both educates and leaves us with choice while reducing waste and generating sorely needed revenue.

  • Fake Dan Levin

    I, Fake Dan Levin, hereby declare that I will be opposing any and all legislation herewith. And will construct reasons for that opposition as best as I can, going forth.

    Thank you for your support.

  • Precious Won

    Fake Dan Levin is a winner. If Fake Dan runs for office I will support him!

  • Fang

    Man, I can only hope that this passes. I just hope that Healy and Fulop mean it, because once the American Plastics Council gets word of this they’ll start pouring money in hear to kill it and they won’t know what hit them. They killed it in Seattle and I’m sure they’ll try to do it here too.

  • Mary J Mills

    I discussed the idea of banning plastic bags with our SID President, Michael Yun (Heights Central Ave SID) about 2 years ago. Bags cost shopkeepers a few pennies a piece and must be bought by the box. This adds up to something for our
    low margin businesses. My interest came from watching our storm sewers clog with them and contribute to considerable flooring on corner properties. The city is burdened with collecting them all over the streets and sewers and parks. The man hours expense for them is tremendous. About a year or more ago, our Stop and Shop began charging for the small plastic brown bags if you did not bring your own bag. I have not seen any resistance to it. They can run up quite a little tax with a charge on double bagged groceries. At about the same time, Mr. Gaughan, Council Ward D, visited our block association and suggested we ban plastic bags altogether! Plastic bags, you know, are made of petroleum products and most wind up in the ocean in the ‘dead zone” bigger than the state of Texas. I think its a WIN WIN
    BIG idea.

  • Mary J Mills

    The addition I would suggest to the legislation would be to ban plastic-wrapped circulars that are dumped everywhere on streets. It is these bags in particular that clog storm drains, their contents unread and unwanted, and cause flooding in corner buildings basements. Circular carriers largely ignore the stickers on people doors asking for them to not leave the unwanted bundles which are often the size of the Star Ledger newspaper and dumped once a week by MORE than one company in some neighborhoods. Our block association has phoned the 1-800 number on these to request they
    not throw circulars on porches to no avail. San Diego banned these about 2 years and found a huge cost saving in
    trash that had to be fished out of the nets that catch storm water as it goes into the ocean, and in the storm catch drains.
    They do not have one tenth the rain of Jersey City. Imagine what the city could save.

  • Jayson

    I just can’t get past the fact that this is nonsense. We can eliminate every plastic bag on the planet and there will still be litter to fill storm drains. If the goal is to get rid of plastic, tax natural gas, don’t give every Jersey City business another petty little headache to deal with on top of the rest.

    Regulating the type of containers in which we carry stuff home in should be far outside the scope of government.

  • http://onejerseycity.org Dan Levin

    the ordinance can be found here, page 87 of first reading ordinances – http://cityofjerseycity.com/uploadedFiles/Public_Notices/Agenda/City_Council_Agenda/2010/2010_1st_Reading_Ordinances/Agenda%20Document%2819%29.pdf

    the ordinance only covers supermarkets with sales of $2 million or more and pharmacies with 5 or more locations in Jersey City. most of these stores have existing in-store recycling programs.

    this begs the question, does this ordinance address the litter and waste we see on our streets?

    where does plastic bag litter come from?

    if you take a walk around your neighborhood or commercial district, are the plastic bags that you see blowing around and in the gutter from – Pathmark, Shop Rite, Stop and Shop, Duane Reade, Rite Aid or Walbaums? if not, will this proposed ordinance address a legitimate problem or is this nothing more than green washing, feel good legislation while avoiding the issue and problem.

    if other cities can make meaningful efforts, why can’t Jersey City?

  • http://www.jerseycityindependent.com Jon Whiten

    Just as an FYI to readers, the ordinance can also be found embedded in the text of this story and it is download-able from there, without having to wade through all the other proposed ordinances. We added it over the weekend when we were able to track it down.

  • J from JC

    I second Mary Mills’ suggestion that something be done about those bothersome circulars that are tossed out of the back of cars onto sidewalks, lawns, and doorsteps. If you want these bundles of advertisements, you should have to subscribe to them. It is an enormous waste of resources: I could fill a 20′x 6′ dumpster with all the circulars I’ve received and never read. I’m sure that I’m not alone.

  • Alb

    Maybe the council should impose, say, a 10 cent tax on each bag used, as opposed to a ban, but it’s great that Healy has an interest in this issue.

    I think it’s sad that the goal of reducing use of plastic bags is controversial. It’s nice to see him and Fulop cooperating on this issue.

  • William Andrew

    Taxes and bans do not work. Recycling and stronger litter laws are the best defense. Plastic bags are 100% recyclable….Stores can get money back for supplying these materials for recycling, which gives them the incentive to invest resources. Most major box stores and chain stores already have recycling in place. WalMart has been recycling for years. We just need to get the public educated as to where and how to recycle. Most cities with recycling programs have not only improved the litter issue, but have also prevented thousands of pounds of plastic not ending up in landfills. Finally…to really attack litter you must have a strong anti-litter program in place with stiff penalties for offenders. Stiff litter fines seem to work best along with a strong anti-litter program posted all over the city. Fines of no less than $100. seem to get everyone’s attention. The money collected could go toward litter removal and recycling without taxing the consumer in any, way, shape or form…. plastic bags don’t litter…people do.

  • Mike

    I wonder what all the take-out places will do? Paper is more expensive, difficult to store and kills trees….it is hard to decide what is worse. People use those bags to pick up their dogs poop too….will people stop picking up poop?

    In the end we need to enforce litter laws. The city could make a lot of money by ticketing litterbugs from Grove Street to the County Court house. I watch people litter all the time….say something to the people and you likely have a fight on your hands….it is a lose lose situation.

  • http://www.jerseycityindependent.com Jon Whiten

    @Mike: RE: the smaller take-out places, this proposal actually doesn’t apply to them, as we pointed out in a follow-up item. See: http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2010/10/25/proposed-jersey-city-ban-on-plastic-bags-has-narrow-focus-most-businesses-would-not-be-affected/

  • Jayson

    @Mike – evidently plastic kills trees, too, according to the proposed municipal code:

    “WHEREAS, plastic shopping bags have significant environmental impacts each year, including the felling of over 14 million trees…”