AF&PA Urges Governor Murphy to Issue a Conditional Veto on New Jersey’s Paper Bag Ban
CONTACT: Lindsay Murphy / 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 the passage of New Jersey’s Paper Bag Ban (NJ Senate Bill 864 / Assembly Bill 1978):
“The American Forest & Paper Association opposes bans on paper products and urges Governor Phil Murphy to issue a conditional veto that removes paper from New Jersey’s bag ban. In voting to become the first and only state in the nation to ban paper bags, the New Jersey Legislature has undermined an environmentally responsible option for consumers. Furthermore, the ban on paper bags sends an alarming message in devaluing family wage jobs, which are often union labor, in addition to the indirect jobs supported by the paper and wood products industry in the state.
“Paper is part of the environmental solution, but New Jersey is treating it like the problem. Governor Murphy should take action to ensure continued consumer access to a recyclable, reusable and compostable product — the paper bag.”