the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Upper Saddle River NJ, Assemblywomen Holly Schepisi on the New Jersey’s paper bag ban , ” Yesterday New Jersey voted to ban PAPER BAGS. No one, including the sponsor of the bill, could explain why we are the ONLY State in the nation to ban recyclable paper bags other than “we are the most environmentally progressive State.” If that statement was true and if we truly wanted to stop environmental harm in this State why have the legislators and the Governor refused to move forward any legislation that would stop the massive overdevelopment taking place in each of our communities?”
“During a global pandemic in which New Jersey got hit hardest in the country due to our density, every suburban community in this State is being forced to build hundreds (and in some instances thousands) of units of high density housing because of nonsensical affordable housing regulations. These units are being built without regard to environmental concerns, health and safety concerns, traffic concerns, water availability and sewer concerns. But let us ignore these real environmental issues and instead ban PAPER BAGS. SMDH.”
photos of Apple Ridge in Upper Saddle River
So no bags ever? Of any kind?
Pave over the whole state , buy up homes in repeated flood areas under state programs while approving more building in flood pains , Declare perfect crop growing farmlands even when non blighted as blighted redevelopment zones for masses of million square foot warehouses in rural areas . Put high density affordable housing in Critical Environmentally Sensitive areas with steep slopes wetlands and multiple T and E . Develop huge residential and farm areas giving PILOT tax abatements to all paying no school tax which is 70% of our burden . Then DAA wonder why this is the escape from state where you are required to pay a leave NJ tax. Look at how many of your present town councilmen or committeemen have homes in other states and will retire out there once they sell off your master plans and commons to the development community . And these higher level politicians wonder why they are resented and disliked .
Before paper bags are banned, STOP selling hefty plastic bags, tall white plastic kitchen bags etc. !!!
If you don’t love living here so much you can move to Indiana or Kentucky or another state where the primary form of entertainment is traveling to a Walmart. That might be more your speed and you can use all the paper and plastic you want.
and leave you with the tax bill
I get the plastic bag ban BUT paper bags??? With the idiots in Trenton trying to break every small business in the state, led by the senior idiot in the State House they are doing their best to insure that the anyone with the means to leave will and to that “Anonymous” elitist jerk who demeans those who rely on Walmart for their livelihood as well as their shopping….. have a great day shopping at Lord and Taylor (oh wait they’re out of business). To Holly Schepisi, keep fighting the good fight!! Eventually sanity will prevail.
I thought paper was cleaner than plastic. I got the plastic it doesn’t break down. But the paper is natural. OK so everyone has to go and buy reusable happy duty durable shopping bags OK. They were very well and they do last and they are strong. The plastic bags they give you in stores suck the piece of shit And they fall apart.
In the midst of the pandemic, I am very concerned about doing away with paper bags. Paper bags are biodegradable and I don’t think they hurt the environment. If I use the same tote over and over for groceries, that means I have to disinfect it every time I use it. I think that might be a problem. I would prefer a clean paper bag to use once and dispose of.
Put a paper shopping bag ten feet deep in a landfill. Come back a thousand years later and dig it up. You’ll find it has not decomposed one little bit.
Organic decomposition requires oxygen and sunlight.
Many of us misunderstand the purpose of landfills and how they work. No bag – reusable or conventional plastic bag – will degrade in landfill.
Modern landfills are designed as low-oxygen environments so that the waste cannot decay. This environment helps to prevent decomposition.
I doubt that. Paper dissolve. Plastic don’t.
The plastic products were The sign because it’s cheaper. The problem is now they don’t break down and there’s no money in recycling.
I never recycle. Never ever , why because I know ware it all goes.
I’ll just back up my pickup truck and they can shovel the food into the bed.
Digs were done down to 1950’s era landfill levels. Onion slices found intact. Discarded carrot tops with their green sprigs still attached.
Gregg, if vegetables don’t decompose in landfills, paper bags sure won’t. Get your head right on this.
The digs done in the 50s were staged to advance a political agenda.
Look it up.