As of January 22, 2019, Hoboken’s single-use plastic bag ban ordinance was put into place and has caused many to stop and think twice about plastic. As one of the first municipalities of Hudson County and the largest cities in the state of New Jersey to put in place a bag ban, Hoboken is taking a stance towards reducing plastic pollution. The ban has now been implemented throughout Hoboken, including Stevens.
The issue was first brought to the attention of the Hoboken City Council by students of Hoboken All Saints Episcopal Day School in 2014. Mayor Ravi Bhalla, who was on the Hoboken City Council at the time, took the students’ words to heart and signed the law five years later. The activism of the students mirrored the opinions of many other cities and states that were banning plastic bags, including California in 2014. Although many of the first cities that adopted the plastic bag ban faced conflicts, the spread of education of the harmful consequences of plastic bags on our environment has raised the awareness of recycling, reusing, or avoiding single-use plastic.
The Hoboken Single Plastic Bag Ban forces consumers to use compliant bags, such as those made of cloth, other washable fabrics, or plastic bags with a thickness of 2.25 mm. Alternatively, consumers at retail and food locations can purchase single-use plastic bags for up to 25 cents per bag. David Calamoneri, City of Hoboken Management, expressed that the ban “makes [consumers] think twice between using a plastic bag or a coat pocket while making a quick errand to CVS.”
Leading up to and after the ban, Calamoneri, and the Hoboken Green Team, a group of Hoboken volunteers part of the statewide Sustainable Jersey program, have been distributing free reusable bags. These bags were purchased through a Clean Communities grant, and over 3,000 bags have been distributed at events. Mayor Ravi Bhalla has also taken the time to distribute bags and educate the public about the plastic bag ban. Calamoneri emphasizes that the bag distribution events have been utilized to educate consumers and so far, has successfully done so.
In response to the Hoboken plastic bag ban, Stevens now charges 10 cents for each single-use plastic bag and Compass One Dining has donated more than 1,000 reusable bags at all dining locations on campus. In addition, Jennifer Gonzalez, the Director of Hoboken Environmental Services, and Stevens administration organized a bag distribution outside Pierce Dining Hall at Stevens during lunch on January 30. ShopRite donated reusable bags to Residential Education which were then distributed to residents.
“Our faculty, students, staff and administration have demonstrated through research initiatives, student service projects, and in many other ways that environmental stewardship and sustainability are high priorities,” said Beth McGrath, Vice President for Government and Community Relations and the Chief of Staff.
Every 10 cents saved matters and finding a reusable bag is as simple as using your backpack and making the switch from plastic to reusable by learning more at https://www.hobokennj.gov/resources/plastic-bags.
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