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Bill

A 1664

Eliminates prohibition on provision of single-use paper bags by grocery stores for delivery orders; requires certain retailers to repurpose cardboard boxes if feasible.

2024-2025 Regular Session Introduced by Dave Bailey

Allows grocery stores to use single-use paper bags for delivery orders while requiring retailers to reuse cardboard boxes when feasible, balancing e-commerce logistics with waste reduction.

Introduced in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Environment, Natural Resources, and Solid Waste Committee
#environment #solidwaste
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · A 1664

Legislative bill overview

Bill A 1664 modifies New Jersey's single-use bag restrictions by creating an exemption for grocery stores fulfilling delivery orders, allowing them to provide single-use paper bags in this context. The bill simultaneously requires certain retailers to repurpose or reuse cardboard boxes when feasible rather than discarding them.

Why is this important

This bill reflects tension between environmental policy goals and practical logistics challenges in e-commerce grocery delivery. As online grocery shopping has expanded post-pandemic, retailers argue that reusable bag requirements are incompatible with delivery operations, where customers aren't present to return bags. The bill attempts to balance environmental concerns through cardboard reuse requirements while accommodating delivery logistics.

Potential points of contention

  • Environmental consistency: Critics may argue that exempting paper bags for delivery orders undermines New Jersey's broader single-use plastic reduction goals and contradicts the state's environmental leadership positioning
  • Definition ambiguity: The bill's scope regarding "certain retailers" and "if feasible" for cardboard repurposing lacks precise thresholds, potentially creating compliance confusion and unequal enforcement
  • Practical alternatives: Stakeholders may dispute whether the exemption is truly necessary, given that delivery services could use reusable containers, compostable alternatives, or return-based systems as viable options

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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