TRENTON, NJ – A report from Freedonia Custom Research found that New Jersey’s single-use bag ban, while dramatically cutting the number of disposable bags in circulation, has also driven a sharp rise in plastic consumption due to the widespread adoption of reusable alternatives that are not widely recyclable.
Many people who have home grocery delivery from stores like Walmart, ShopRite, and others throw away those delivered bags as they would have single-use bags.
The study, released two years ago by the Cleveland-based research firm, shows total bag volumes in the state dropped more than 60% to 894 million bags following the 2022 implementation of the ban.
However, the shift from thin plastic film to heavier, woven and non-woven polypropylene bags caused a nearly threefold increase in total plastic use. Most of these new reusable bags contain no recycled content and require substantially more raw plastic to produce.
Researchers also found a significant rise in greenhouse gas emissions associated with the manufacturing of these alternatives. The report estimates a 500% increase in emissions compared with 2015 production levels for non-woven polypropylene bags, which consume over 15 times more plastic per unit than the polyethylene bags they replaced.
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Retailers, no longer permitted to provide free plastic or paper bags, have turned to selling alternative bags at checkout, resulting in a profitable new revenue stream.
Freedonia’s cost analysis found that a typical grocery store can earn roughly $200,000 annually from alternative bag sales, while one major retailer generated an estimated $42 million in profit across all New Jersey locations.
The report notes that most consumers reuse these bags only two or three times before disposal—well below the reuse rates needed to offset the increased environmental impact from production. Researchers say this limited reuse undermines the ban’s intent to reduce plastic waste and carbon emissions.
- Freedonia report finds New Jersey bag ban cut bag use by 60%
- Total plastic consumption tripled due to polypropylene alternatives
- Retailers gained significant profits while emissions sharply increased
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