NEW JERSEY — On Wednesday, what Gov. Murphy called the strictest plastic bag ban in the nation will go into effect. Grocery store chains especially will be impacted by this. But what about local businesses?
Plastic bags will be banned at all stores, and paper bags will be banned at grocery stores larger than 2,500 square feet.
READ MORE: NJ's Plastic Bag Ban Begins May 4: What You Need To Know
Ray Cantor, Vice President of Government Affairs of the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, said he has some concerns about the law's complicated nature.
"Initially, there needs to be a lot more education on the consumer side and on the business side," Cantor told Patch. He said he hopes that the government will not enforce the law with a heavy hand until there is further knowledge and education on the law.
For businesses, he said the NJBIA is "very concerned" about the polystyrene aspect. Cantor said the NJBIA is hearing a lot of complaints about the lack of cost-effective or easily accessible replacements when it comes to food take-out options.
"Between the straw issue, outlawing the use of plastic bags as well as styrofoam containers for left overs, this is really going to cut in to the restaurants bottom line as the alternatives are 3-5 times more expensive than what we are using now," Nick Hionas, who operates Meadows Diner and Lamp Post Diner in South Jersey, said. He said that since the diners go through thousands of these items a week, the additional 5-10 cents per item adds up quickly.
"We are still trying to find the right alternative items so the truth is we are not fully prepared just yet," Hionas said.
Many agree that education of consumers is one of the most important aspects.
"Preparing for this change is significant, and with all rollouts getting information to consumers is just as important," Lori Pepenella, from the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce, said. She said that the chamber has been working with the New Jersey Business Action Center and its members to prepare for the ban since 2021.
Bigger chains are also preparing their customers for the switch.
"We will be offering a low-cost $0.35 reusable bag that can be used both at Wawa and for other shopping or personal needs, while encouraging customers to "skip the bag" whenever possible," a spokesperson for Wawa said.
Another aspect relates to home deliveries and grocery pickup. New Jersey State Senator Kristin Corrado has introduced a bill to exempt grocery delivery and pickup from the ban. Food banks and charities have received an exemption from the ban temporarily.
"New Jerseyans who now rely on home delivery and curbside pickup for food have no idea how this will impact their food supply, or how much more it will cost them," Corrado said.
The state Department of Environmental Protection will be enforcing the ban, delegating enforcement to local health departments. The first offense is a warning. The second offense is an up to $1,000 fine, and third and subsequent offenses will have a fine of up to $5,000.