New Jersey enforces the strongest single-use bag ban in the United States, prohibiting Jersey City retailers and food service businesses from providing single-use plastic carryout bags or polystyrene foam containers to customers since May 2022.
Under New Jersey Public Law 2020 c. 117, all Jersey City grocery stores, restaurants, and retailers are barred from distributing single-use plastic carryout bags regardless of thickness. Grocery stores over 2,500 square feet may not provide paper bags either, leaving reusable bags as the only option. The state law preempts any weaker local rule and applies uniformly across Jersey City. Hudson County Health Department supports compliance outreach, and Jersey City Department of Health and Human Services investigates retailer complaints. Online grocery delivery and curbside pickup follow the same rules.
Retailers face warnings on first offense, $1,000 for second offense, and up to $5,000 per day for subsequent violations under New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection enforcement.
Jersey City, NJ
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Jersey City, NJ
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See how Jersey City's plastic bag rules rules stack up against other locations.
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