New Jersey targets plastic packaging that fills landfills and pollutes
New Jersey is seeking to drastically reduce the amount of plastics and other packaging material that's tossed out once a package is opened
TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey is aiming to drastically reduce the amount of packaging material — particularly plastic — that is thrown away after the package is opened.
From bubble wrap to puffy air-filled plastic pockets to those foam peanuts that seem to immediately spill all over the floor, lots of what keeps items safe during shipping often ends up in landfills, or in the environment as pollution.
A bill to be discussed Thursday in the state Legislature would require all such materials used in the state to be recyclable or compostable by 2034. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says containers and packaging materials from shopping account for about 28% of municipal waste sent to landfills in the U.S.
The New Jersey bill seeks to move away from plastics and imposes fees on manufacturers and distributors for a $120 million fund to bolster recycling and reduce solid waste.
California, Colorado, Oregon, Maine, and Minnesota have already passed similar bills, according to the environmental group Beyond Plastics.
New Jersey's bill as proposed would be the strongest in the nation, according to Doug O'Malley, director of Environment New Jersey.
“Our waterways are literally swimming in plastics," he said. “We can't recycle our way out of this crisis.”
Peter Blair, policy and advocacy director at the environmental group Just Zero, said the bill aims to shift financial responsibility for dealing with the “end-of-life” of plastic packaging from taxpayers, who pay to have it sent to landfills, to the producers of the material.
Business groups oppose the legislation.
Ray Cantor, an official
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