Fight continues to ban plastic even with heavy use in pandemic
Momentum was building in the Garden State earlier this year for a potential statewide ban on single-use items such as paper and plastic bags. Then the pandemic hit. And now, groups that have been pushing for that ban for quite some time are hoping momentum doesn't shift in the other direction. Dependence on single-use items such as bags, straws, cups and take-home containers has shot up since the health emergency began, with in-person dining halted since the middle of March and eateries counting on take-out and delivery orders to stay afloat. In mid-June, New Jersey restaurants were given approval to offer outdoor seating; many have turned to one-use items in hopes of limiting the risk of cross contamination among customers. Several supermarkets have discouraged shoppers from bringing in reusable bags for the same reason. "We're seeing this tidal wave of disposable single-use plastics, which is exactly what we're trying to move away from," Doug O'Malley, direc