In what will be another tool to fight litter in New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy has signed legislation that will fuel a permanent annual appropriation of $500,000 to the Clean Communities Program Fund for the NJFC’s reusable bag program.
The NJFC, NJCCC and Clean Communities Coordinators applaud the signing of this 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 nonprofit groups across the state. The bill was signed into law July 22 and goes into effect immediately.
The NJCCC has been at the forefront of the single-use bag ban law, signed May 4, 2022. It has been tremendously 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 closely with the business community to ensure that all New Jerseyans 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 the LitterFreeNJ program and for its reusable bag distribution program that keeps reusable bags out of landfills and environmentally-sensitive areas.
NJCCC, working with the NJFC, created the pilot distribution program two years ago, encouraging shoppers to donate their gently used reusable bags to be collected, sanitized and donated to local food pantries, senior centers and other nonprofits. This statewide program has grown, due to its public, private and nonprofit partnerships.
To learn more about the program, or where unwanted reusable bags can be donated, click here.
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