New Jersey is taking aim at plastic waste with an ambitious plan to drastically reduce packaging materials that end up in landfills. A proposed bill set to be discussed in the state Legislature on Thursday would require all packaging materials used in the state—such as bubble wrap, air-filled plastic pockets, and foam peanuts—to be recyclable or compostable by 2034.
Packaging materials from consumer shopping account for about 28% of all municipal waste sent to landfills in the U.S., according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Much of this waste also ends up as pollution in waterways and natural environments, where plastics pose significant environmental hazards.
“Our waterways are literally swimming in plastics,” said Doug O’Malley, director of Environment New Jersey. “We can’t recycle our way out of this crisis.”
If passed, the bill would impose fees on manufacturers and distributors, generating $120 million to bolster recycling infrastructure and reduce solid waste. Advocates say this measure would not only make New Jersey a leader in sustainable waste management but also shift the financial burden of dealing with waste from taxpayers to producers.
The legislation includes several target dates:
- By 2032, single-use packaging in the state must be reduced by 25%, with at least 10% of that reduction achieved through reusable or plastic-free alternatives.
- By 2034, all packaging must be recyclable or compostable.
- By 2036, at least 65% of packaging products in New Jersey must be recycled.
If enacted, New Jersey’s law would surpass similar legislation already passed in California, Colorado, Oregon, Maine, and Minnesota, according to the environmental group Beyond Plastics.
The bill faces strong opposition from business groups.
Ray Cantor of the New Jersey Business and Industry Association called the proposal “unrealistic” and criticized it for disregarding the state’s existing recycling systems. “New Jersey has one of the most successful recycling programs in the nation,” Cantor said. “This bill would ban advanced recycling technologies and a range of chemicals without any scientific basis.”
Advanced recycling, which involves breaking down plastics into their base chemicals to create new materials, is described by Cantor as a promising technology. However, environmental advocates disagree, citing safety concerns.
Brooke Helmick, policy director for the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance, warned that advanced recycling is “very, very dangerous,” posing risks of toxic chemical releases, fires, and hazardous byproducts.
Under the bill, the state Department of Environmental Protection would be tasked with evaluating New Jersey’s recycling market and identifying the costs of upgrading infrastructure to meet the increased demand for processing recyclable packaging materials.