Plastic-Bag Ban To Begin In Asbury Park

To help eliminate litter and keep them from ending up in the city's lakes, oceans and sewer system, Asbury Park's City Council has voted to ban single-use plastic bags.

Asbury Park’s ban begins on January 1, 2020.

Once the ban is in effect, single-use plastic bags cannot be provided by retailers or food establishments at customer check-out. Instead, businesses may provide single-use paper bags or reusable bags at a minimum fee of $0.10 to the customer (maximum $0.25 on paper, no maximum on reusable bags), or customers may bring their own reusable bag.

Exceptions include supermarket bags without handles for produce and meat to prevent cross-contamination; prescription drug bags; hardware store bags for screws and bolts; laundry and dry-cleaning bags; and newspaper delivery bags.

“We continue to create polices and regulations that promote environmental stewardship and hope this small change in Asbury Park will create a big impact for future generations,” said Mayor John Moor. “Other municipalities who have passed plastic bag bans have seen a dramatic increase in reusable bag use and a decrease in plastic bags found in storm drains and clogging up recycling operations. We look forward to seeing those same results in Asbury Park.”

“Our ultimate goal is to keep Asbury Park’s beaches, ocean and lakes free of pollution,” said Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn, “Plastic is the most common type of marine litter worldwide and it doesn’t biodegrade. Instead, it ends up breaking up into small particles that stay in the water and enter our food chain. As a beachside community, it’s our responsibility to protect our environment and create a sustainable future for Asbury Park.”