First Plastic Bag Ordinance Passes In New Jersey

Longport has become the state’s first town to impose a fee for plastic bags at its local businesses.

On Friday, Longport’s Borough Commission passed an ordinance that imposes a $0.10 fee for disposable plastic bags at local businesses in an effort to encourage reusable bags.

Businesses that fail to follow the rules will pay a $250 fee, according to the Press of Atlantic City.

Borough officials have said the ordinance will help protect the local ecosystem of Longport, which sits on Absecon Island. Items like meats and prescription drugs can still be carried out in plastic bags, NJ.com reported.

There are just about 900 residents and only three businesses in town, including two restaurants, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Passage of the ordinance is an important first step in the effort to reduce plastic pollution in the ocean, Beth Kwart of the Surfrider Foundation told the Press of Atlantic City.

According to local advocate organization Sustainable Margate, Longport joins more than 50 towns in California and dozens more nationwide that have either banned the bags or imposed a fee on them.

“Roughly 100 billion plastic bags are given away for free in the US each year causing unsightly litter, entangling marine birds and animals, and using the equivalent of 12 million barrels of oil. Downbeach residents alone generate close to 9 million plastic bags each year,” Sustainable Margate said via its Facebook page.