Plastic Bags and Straws May Be Coming Back to NJ Soon

Could plastic bags and plastic straws be on their way back to the state of New Jersey?

If an Assemblyman in Bergen County has his way, yes.

I have to say I would be ok with it.

Even after about three years of the plastic bag ban in the Garden State, I still forget to bring my reusable bags into some stores when I'm rushing to get errands done, like many other people throughout the state.

Then, I'm forced to buy more bags because I can't carry everything which means more money spent (yes, they add up) and more of a mess in my car. I have tons of bags in there after all the times I've forgotten bags.

Let me fill you in about what's happening.

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NJ Assemblyman wants to repeal the plastics ban

Assemblyman John Azzariti Jr. is the first lawmaker to introduce legislation that would reverse the New Jersey law from back in 2020 that banned single-use plastic and paper bags.

This proposed bill is after President Trump's new executive order to reintroduce plastic straws.

Azzariti Jr. says, "New Jersey implemented the most restrictive ban on single-use plastics, Styrofoam, and paper carryout bags to much left-wing fanfare, but the unintended consequences of the law are starting to negate any environmental benefits. Just because your intuition tells you something is going to be true, science can prove you wrong."

Study says plastic consumption went up since ban

A new study revealed since New Jersey's plastics ban went into effect, the amount of plastics consumed has almost tripled.

READ MORE: Major Changes to NJ's ANCHOR Rebate Program for 2025

The Assemblyman argues so many of the reusable bags end up in the trash because residents are overwhelmed by them and they're not recyclable.

For more information on this, click here.

We'll see what happens.