Princeton Merchants Association Encouraging Reuse of Single-Use Shopping Bags

As Princeton Council considers whether to institute a fee on shopping bags, the Princeton Merchants Association has introduced an initiative to encourage residents to reuse single use shopping bags.

The Princeton Merchants Association (PMA), in collaboration with local merchants, nonprofits and the municipality, has launched a single use plastic bag reduction campaign for the community.

The purpose of “Learning our ABC’s” is to reduce the amount of single use bags and plastic films sent to the landfill. The effort follows the best landfill waste reduction strategy by emphasizing reduction first, then reuse, and lastly, recycling.

Merchants will be encouraged to ask customers if they need a bag, as well as encourage residents to bring their own bag.

The use of bins throughout town and homes for residents and businesses to collect and recycle plastic bags is also encouraged.

Current participants include McCaffrey’s Food Market, the Princeton University Store, the Whole Earth Center, Craft Cleaners, Sustainable Princeton, the Princeton Senior Resource Center and the Municipality of Princeton. The Princeton University Store and McCaffrey’s are currently the only locations for public collection and recycling of single use plastic bags.

“PMA is very pleased to offer this solution to the community and we look forward to working with our members and non-members to raise awareness around the importance of reducing and recycling single use plastic bags, film and wrap,” John Marshall, President of the Princeton Merchant’s Association, said.

Using Trex Recycling via McCaffrey’s, 10 new containers will initially be placed at convenient locations around town.

Residents will be able to recycle newspaper bags, bread bags, food storage bags and other plastic film such as dry cleaning bags and that which holds bulk items together.

McCaffrey’s will soon be selling BagSavR receptacles, which shoppers can use to collect plastics to bring back to any local collection container. McCaffrey’s shoppers can save $2 on a BagSavR when they bring in two full “bags of bags” back for recycling.

“By increasing the number of plastic bag recycle containers around town we will reduce what would otherwise end up in our landfill,” Diane M. Landis, Executive Director of Sustainable Princeton, said.

The Princeton Merchants Association said it hopes to showcase Princeton as a model for voluntary bag reduction, and hopes that “Learning our ABC’s” might quickly expand to our neighboring municipalities, state, and nation.

Last month, Princeton learned it is within its general police powers to reduce pollution and control pollution of the waterways, meaning the town can charge customers fees for single-use shopping bags if it can show those bags pose a threat to the environment.

Municipal Attorney Trishka W. Cecil and Assistant Municipal Attorney Lisa M. Maddox offered their opinion in a nine-page document on June 15.

The attached BYOB Merchant Point of Purchase logo was provided by the Princeton Merchants Association.