NJFC tote bag

In what will be another tool to fight litter in the Garden State, Gov. Phil Murphy has signed legislation for a permanent annual appropriation of $500,000 to the Clean Communities Program Fund for the New Jersey Food Council’s reusable bag program.

The NJFC, NJCCC and Clean Communities Coordinators hailed the signing of the bill and the commitment of Murphy and the state legislature to fight single-use bag litter.

The bill, S.3711, will fund the ongoing management of a statewide program that distributes gently-used reusable bags to food banks, pantries and other nonprofits across the state. It was signed into law July 22, taking effect immediately. 

The NJCCC has been at the forefront of the single-use bag ban law, signed May 4, 2022. It has been impactful and effective, keeping billions of single-use bags out of New Jersey’s wastestream every year.

The NJCCC has been focused on ensuring the success of this law, a prototype for other state and local governments to emulate, and has worked with the business community to ensure that all residents have access to clean reusable bags.

S.3711 builds upon the original legislation, which provided $500,000 per year for three years for the Clean Communities program, funding public education through LitterFreeNJ and for its reusable bag distribution program.

NJCCC, working with the NJFC, created the pilot distribution program two years ago, encouraging shoppers to donate reusable bags to be collected, sanitized and donated to local food pantries, senior centers and other nonprofits. The statewide program has grown through public, private and nonprofit partnerships.

To learn more about the program, or where unwanted reusable bags can be donated, click here.

[RELATED: NJFC Hosts Reception For Local Companies At Fancy Food Show]

Digital Content Editor Sommer joined The Shelby Report in January 2022 after graduating from Brenau University in Gainesville, GA, with a B.A. and M.A. in Communications and Media Studies. As Digital...

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