Environmental Coalition Urges Mercer County Residents to Support Plastic Bag Ballot Question

For Immediate Release

October 1, 2014

Contact: Noemi de la Puente, Executive Director of the NJ Environmental Lobby, 609-558-0026

Jeff Tittel, NJ Sierra Club, 609-558-9100

John Weber, Mid Atlantic Regional Manager, Surfrider Foundation, 732-567-1787

Environmental Coalition Urges Mercer County Residents to Support Plastic Bag Ballot Question

This November the voters of Mercer County will have an opportunity to voice their support for reducing our plastic use. A non-binding question on the ballot asks voters if they approve placing a 5 cent fee on disposable bags. Mercer County residents use about 183 million bags each year.[1]
<file:jeffshare/Media/Releases/20141001%20Bag%20Launch%20Noemi%20edits.3.doc#_ftn1> Nationwide, only about 8% of all plastic bags ever get recycled,[2]
<file:jeffshare/Media/Releases/20141001%20Bag%20Launch%20Noemi%20edits.3.doc#_ftn2> the rest ending up as litter in our streets, landfills, and oceans. It often costs more to transport the bags than they are worth in the recycling market. In Mercer County alone, this is about 1.9 million pounds of trash in our landfills each year.[3]
<file:jeffshare/Media/Releases/20141001%20Bag%20Launch%20Noemi%20edits.3.doc#_ftn3> Coalition members are urging Mercer County residents to vote "yes" on the bag question to keep Mercer clean.

"A Yes' vote on this ballot question opens the dialog for a fair bag fee that will help merchants and consumers save money, and save the environment at the same time. The countries, states, and communities that have done this have found a way for all citizens to help the environment. Stores like Aldi, Bottom Dollar and Save-a-lot demonstrate that this can work in Mercer County", said Noemi de la Puente, Executive Director of the NJ Environmental Lobby.

A nickel for a plastic bag at the cash register is one of the most effective ways to reduce consumer demand for bags. This could save Mercer County merchants and consumers up to up to $9 million.[4]
<file:jeffshare/Media/Releases/20141001%20Bag%20Launch%20Noemi%20edits.3.doc#_ftn4> Merchants provide customers with "free" bags but the costs are passed on in our shopping bills. The average consumer spends $15 - $30 per year on bags in hidden costs. Additionally, we all pay to have these plastic bags cleaned up from our environment and disposed of by county and municipal authorities.

"The voters have Mercer County have an opportunity to reduce litter and plastic bag pollution in their communities with this ballot question. We believe that plastic bags are becoming more and more of an environmental hazard. Putting a fee on them will encourage people to use reusable bags. This will save people money, while also decreasing litter and pollution. We urge residents to vote "YES" because this bag question is a win, win " for the environment and for the taxpayers of Mercer County," said Jeff Tittel, Director, NJ Sierra Club.

Plastics bags can cause devastating impacts to the environment, animals, and even our health. Dolphins and sea turtles eat plastic bags because they look like jelly fish in the water. Eventually plastic fills the animal's stomach and contributes to the animal's death. Small plastic particles absorb persistent organic pollutants, and are eaten by fish, entering our food chain and putting human health at risk because toxins in the plastic transfer to the body of the fish. Plastic bags affect water quality and drainage by clogging storm drains and filling up detention basins.

"From Washington DC to numerous towns in California, Surfrider Foundation has supported fees on single use bags. These fees have proven to reduce unnecessary bag consumption. That in turn cuts down on litter, and the amount of fossil fuels needed to make bags," said John Weber of the Surfrider Foundation," said John Weber, Mid Atlantic Regional Manager, Surfrider Foundation.

Placing a fee on plastic bag pollution has been proven to change consumer behavior. In San Francisco plastic bag use was reduced by 78% after a fee was instituted. DC saw a 60% reduction of plastic bag litter in the Anacostia River following the implementation of a 5 cent fee. Ireland's ban fee reduced plastic bag usage by 90% in the first year.

"Our Watershed Association conducts Stream Clean Ups in many of the 25 municipalities in our watershed. We find single-use plastic bags in streams, trees, yards, streets, and storm drains. They are impossible to clean up and result in death to our wildlife, increased costs to taxpayers, and unsightly vistas. Charging for their use is a small price to pay to protect the environment,"
*said Joan K. McGee Watershed Policy Specialist, Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association*.

"BYOBAG Campaign seeks to reduce the use of single use bags both paper and plastic by encouraging the citizens of Princeton to BYOBAG (Being their own bag). Through events, education and community outreach BYOBAG seeks to help change people's behavior and demonstrate that by taking responsibility for how we use single use items we can make a lasting and meaningful impact and change the world," said Bainy Suri with BYOBAG Campaign.

Learn more about the Coalition at www.njthinkoutsidethebag.com

Upcoming Coalition Hosted Screenings of the documentary film Bag It:

Oct 17 " 12 pm Covenant Presbyterian Church, 471 Parkway Ave, Trenton, NJ, United States

Q&A following film hosted by Noemi de la Puente, Executive Director of the NJ Environmental Lobby

October 22 - 7 - 9 PM at Hightstown Library, 114 Franklin Road, Hightstown NJ 08520

Q&A following film hosted by Bainy Suri, NJ Environmental Lobby And BYOBag

October 27 - 7 - 9:30 Sustainable Ewing Green Team, The College of New Jersey, Roscoe L. West Library Auditorium (use parking lot 18) 2000 Pennington Road, Ewing, NJ 08626 (call 609-883-0862 for more info)

Q&A following film hosted by Noemi de la Puente, Executive Director of the NJ Environmental Lobby

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[1]
<file:jeffshare/Media/Releases/20141001%20Bag%20Launch%20Noemi%20edits.3.doc#_ftnref1> EPA Estimates

[2]
<file:jeffshare/Media/Releases/20141001%20Bag%20Launch%20Noemi%20edits.3.doc#_ftnref2> EPA Municipal Solid Waste Report 2011, table 7.

[3]
<file:jeffshare/Media/Releases/20141001%20Bag%20Launch%20Noemi%20edits.3.doc#_ftnref3> EPA estimates 80% of bags are plastic and 1,000 plastic bags weigh 13 pounds

[4]
<file:jeffshare/Media/Releases/20141001%20Bag%20Launch%20Noemi%20edits.3.doc#_ftnref4> Humes, E. (2012) Garbology. New York , NY: Penguin Group. The average American uses 500 bags per year.

 --  Kate Millsaps Conservation Program Coordinator NJ Sierra Club (609) 656-7612 

> > > > > Received on 2014-10-01 09:51:44