Sustainability and Environmental Justice

Welcome to the new Sustainability and Environmental Justice area of our website.

We are just getting started, but have plans for making this a one-stop-shop for visitors wanting information on this vital topic. For now, you can find here a list of websites for learning everything that consumers and business owners need to know about the new law, effective May 4, governing the use of retail plastic and paper bags and polystyrene packaging (the kind for take-out orders from restaurants) here in New Jersey.

Begin your search for answers with these websites. And check back with us soon as we add valuable new information to what is already here:

• NJ Department of Environmental Protection email for asking questions: singleuseplastic@dep.nj.gov

• The DEP's all-purpose website with information related to all three bans: https://nj.gov/dep/get-past-plastic

• A DEP site explaining for business owners the exemptions to the polystyrene packaging ban: https://www.nj.gov/dep/plastic-ban-law/docs/bag-ban-waiver-and-cover-letter.pdf

• A non-government site that also seeks to answer all your questions: bagupnj.com/index.php/news/87-n-j-plastic-bag-ban-garbage-pet-waste-bags-still-ok-when-new-law-starts

• A website for helping business owners navigate the new law. It presents information in Spanish and English, has a Life Chat function between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, Monday - Friday, includes a list of vendors of acceptable re-usable bags and provides this phone number: 1-800-Jersey-7. https://www.nj.gov/dep/get-past-plastic/