AF&PA Opposes New Jersey’s Ban on Paper Bags
CONTACT: Tim Ebner
(202) 463-2587, comm@afandpa.org
WASHINGTON – The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Heidi Brock issued the following statement regarding New Jersey’s Paper Bag Ban (NJ Senate Bill 864 / Assembly Bill 1978):
“The American Forest & Paper Association opposes the action taken today by Governor Phil Murphy, signing into law a statewide ban on paper bags. This action undermines an environmentally responsible option for consumers. New Jersey is now the only state in the nation to ban paper bags, which are made from a renewable resource and are recyclable, reusable and compostable, providing a safe packaging option to protect purchases from damage and contamination. With the stroke of a pen, Governor Murphy sent an alarming message in devaluing family-wage manufacturing jobs, which are often union labor. This is an unfortunate message to send to the thousands of people working in direct and indirect jobs supported by the paper and wood products industry in the Garden State.”