Hoboken’s Plastic Bag Ban Starts Today – Win for the Environment

A city-wide ban on single-use plastics in Hoboken will take effect on Sunday, March 8, 2020. The ordinance will regulate the use of carry-out plastic bags by food service and retail establishments, as well as the use of single-use styrofoam products.

“Today is an important day for the environment as Hoboken implements their comprehensive plastic ban. Plastic is a menace to the environment, and it is critical that waterfront cities like Hoboken are moving forward with reducing their plastic waste. It is a threat to our waterways and wildlife, and a full ban will go a long way toward protecting our environment, reducing fossil fuel use, and making our state cleaner,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “We applaud Mayor Bhalla and the Hoboken City Council for taking an initiative and for being a model for other cities in reducing plastic pollution.”

Plastic has become a bigger and bigger problem that affects our environment. Rutgers scientists found densities of about 28,000 to more than 3 million plastic particles per square kilometer in the Passaic and Raritan River. Beach sweeps in New Jersey have found that more than 80% of their trash is plastic, and there has been a 59% increase in plastic straws found on beaches from these sweeps.

“From Cape May County all the way to Bergen County, New Jersey towns and cities have already taken steps to ban plastic because of how bad it is to our health and the environment’s health. Waterfront cities like Hoboken and Bayonne passed ordinances to ban single use plastics.  Lambertville recently introduced an ordinance to ban plastic bags, Styrofoam, polystyrene, and single use plastic straws,” said Jeff Tittel. “Some businesses and restaurants in New Jersey are already working to reduce their plastic waste by using paper bags and paper straws. Towns and cities need to keep passing plastic bans to put pressure on our state legislature for a statewide ban.”

In New Jersey, towns like Sea Bright, Bayonne, Paramus, Lambertville, Avalon, Belmar, Hoboken, Jersey City, Teaneck have passed plastic bag ban ordinances. The state legislature has one of the most comprehensive ban bills in the nation, which has passed the Senate and needs to be voted on by the Assembly. S864 (Smith) is a statewide ban on single use plastic bags, plastic straws, and polystyrene.

“Cities like Hoboken and Jersey City are moving forward plastic bans, but the state isn’t. The legislature has one of the most comprehensive plastic bans in the nation that has passed the Senate, but now the Assembly has to act. New Jersey needs to start looking into ways to combat this plastic pollution and a state-wide ban on these products is the best way to start. People are fed up with plastic pollution filling up their storm drains and threatening their drinking water. New Jersey’s Legislature needs to stand up and be as bold as Hoboken to combat our plastic pollution problem effectively,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “Our Legislature must work quickly to get this to the governor’s desk to sign before our plastic waste problem gets worse. We cannot afford to wait any longer.”