Photo by: Taylor McFarland Photography
TRENTON, NJ - On Thursday, May 22nd, a coalition of environmental advocates convened a “People Over Plastics” press conference and rally at the New Jersey Statehouse Plaza. This press conference was held to urge legislators to prioritize two critical pieces of legislation that tackles the plastic crisis in our state, the Packaging Product Stewardship Act or "EPR" bill S3398/A5009 and the "Skip the Stuff" bill S3195/A5157.
The Packaging and Paper Product Stewardship Act, S3398/A5009, will reduce the amount of plastic packaging clogging landfills, being burned at incinerators, and despoiling our beaches, parks and neighborhoods. Adoption of this bill will save tax dollars and protect the health of our families. Under the Packaging and Paper Product Stewardship Act, companies will be charged modest fees on all packaged products sold in the state. These funds will be used to reimburse municipalities and private trash haulers for 50% (initially) and 90% (after five years) of their costs in collecting recyclables and bringing them to materials recovery facilities. The bill also requires 50% waste reduction of single-use plastic packaging within 10 years, requires a 65% recycling rate within 10 years, reduces toxics in packaging by prohibiting the most toxic chemicals from being used to manufacture packaging for goods sold in the state, including lead, mercury, and other heavy metals, and prohibits “chemical recycling” from counting toward the required recycling rate.
Billions of individual single-use plastic utensils are discarded every year in the
United States. The “Skip the Stuff” bill S3195/A5157, prohibits businesses from providing single-use utensils and condiments to customers unless requested, and requires some food service businesses to provide reusable utensils to customers eating on site. Businesses only provide single-use cutlery and condiments upon request for take-out orders and do not serve single-use cutlery or condiments for dine-in if the seating capacity is 25 or more.
Organizations involved include The Sierra Club, Beyond Plastics, Surfrider Foundation, ANJEC, Clean Water Action, Clean Ocean Action, Pinelands Preservation Alliance, Oceana, Environment NJ, and Save Barnegat Bay.
Find statements in reaction to today’s rally and lobby day from a coalition of advocates below:
“People have been forced to be surrounded by more and more single-use plastic, from oversized packaging to foods wrapped in plastic and an abundance of disposable foodware gone unused. Half of all plastic is single-use, with 99% of it made from fossil fuels, never biodegrading but breaking into toxic micro and nanoparticles that can migrate into our bodies making us sick. Single-use plastic reduction bills, like EPR and Skip the Stuff, save municipalities and businesses money and extend the life of our landfills, all while reducing poisons we eat, drink and breathe,” said Marta Young, Zero Waste Specialist at Clean Water Action.
“We can’t recycle our way out of the abundance of single-use plastic that is costing our municipalities money and adding expenses to our businesses. Red Bank passed a Skip the Stuff ordinance last fall and our restaurants are thrilled," stated Ben Forest, Red Bank Councilman. "Clean Water Action did a Case Study that showed there’s a 94% reduction now in the cutlery and condiments that are provided. Restaurants are now saving money and customers are happy not to have to throw away or store unwanted disposable cutlery and condiments in their kitchen junk drawer."
“Recycling simply can’t keep up with the production of single-use plastic packaging. That is why we need to focus on measures to reduce plastic production at its source, limit the use of single-use plastic, and embrace reusable packaging solutions. A strong EPR and Skip the Stuff bill will not only help to reduce the growing volume of waste, it will also lessen our dependence on landfill and incineration facilities,” said Taylor McFarland, Conservation Program Manager of the NJ Sierra Club. “We need real policies that reduce plastic production and waste. These bills do just that.”
"The plastic pollution problem in New Jersey is getting worse every year. These bills will save taxpayer dollars and protect the health of New Jersey families from the dangers of microplastics building up in all of our bodies. Now is the time for the Legislature to pass these vitally important bills," said Judith Enck, President of Beyond Plastics and former EPA Region 2 Regional Director.
“To truly confront the high cost of waste and disposal, New Jersey needs a bold new way of doing business—one that puts our communities and environment first. The Packaging Stewardship bill does just that. It drives companies to rethink their packaging, creates a funding stream for local governments to boost recycling and waste reduction, and empowers businesses to lead the change—with the state ensuring accountability. The Packaging Stewardship bill and the “Skip the Stuff” bills are both an environmental and economic win for New Jersey.” - Jennifer Coffey, Executive Director, ANJEC
“Plastic pollution and illegal dumping continue to plague the Pinelands, threatening one of New Jersey’s most ecologically significant regions. Our protected lands are bearing the burden of a throwaway culture: from single-use plastics scattered on trails to packaging waste illegally discarded in remote areas.These bills are critical to safeguarding the Pinelands and communities across the state,” said Dr. Heidi Yeh, Policy Director of the Pinelands Preservation Alliance.
"The Packaging Product Stewardship Act is a critical step toward addressing New Jersey's waste, pollution, and climate crises. Moreover, Skip the Stuff is an easy, no-brainer bill to reduce waste from products that are unwanted from the outset. Plastic packaging accounts for nearly 41% of all litter removed from Jersey Shore beaches, with approximately half of all plastic debris coming from packaging alone. This law will shift the cost of waste management from taxpayers to the companies responsible, ban 14 toxic chemicals found in packaging, and cut plastic packaging by 50% over the next decade. It’s time to act—to protect our health, safeguard our environment, and build a more sustainable future," said Meg Sulzberg, Plastic Free Sea Coordinator at Clean Ocean Action.
“We can’t recycle our way out of the plastics crisis - our waterways and our bodies are literally swimming in plastics. More than three years after the ban of single-use plastic bags, legislation to reduce plastic packaging is the next critical step to stop this wave of plastics swamping our environment,” said Doug O’Malley, Director of Environment New Jersey. “Extended producer responsibility is a simple concept of requiring the companies that produce plastic waste to take responsibility for their products – and reduce the amount of plastic packaging that ends up in our environment and our bodies. We urge both Speaker Coughlin and Senate President Scutari to move forward on this bill to reduce plastic waste.”
Since the organization’s founding during the campaign to pass the landmark Clean Water Act in 1972, Clean Water Action has worked to win strong health and environmental protections by bringing issue expertise, solution-oriented thinking, and people power to the table.