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Last year we celebrated as New Jersey passed into law one of the strongest bans on single-use disposables in the country (P.L. 2020, c. 117). We've been counting down the days until the law goes into effect. On November 4, the "straws by request" provision went live. Under these requirements, food service businesses will only offer single-use plastic straws to customers if they specifically request one.

While this might seem like a very minor change, "straws by request" policies can drastically reduce the number of straws used and thrown out. For example, one restaurant that participated in a

Statement for Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee on A2783

March 15, 2021

Clean Water Action thanks the committee for the opportunity to comment on A2783 and Assemblyman Stanley and Assemblywoman Vainieri Huttle for sponsoring this bill. Clean Water Action supports the bill directing the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to develop guidelines for state and local government purchases to be more environmentally sustainable.

State and local government spending can have a strong positve impact on creating markets for environmentally conscious products and services, making

March 4, 2021

Given that there was no opportunity to testify, below are Clean Water Action's comments about S2515. Clean Water Action supports the post-consumer recycled content bill with a few remaining concerns.

Clean Water Action first and foremost advocates for programs that prevent waste before it is created. We promote reusables over single-use disposables whenever possible. The bag, foam, and straws bill (S864) signed into law in November was a critical first step. Thank you Senator Smith for leading that effort.

Where we are producing wate that can be recovered for reuse and/or turned