Shopping Bags: Don’t Fear the Fee
By Marci Lutsky
If you have shopped in any Somers Point supermarkets or retail stores lately, you may have noticed a BIG change. An ordinance went into effect in early January requiring businesses to charge 5 cents per single use plastic bag. As someone who has been bringing my own reusable bags to the supermarket for years, this brings me much joy that we live somewhere that recognizes the need to be more mindful of how our actions impact the environment. When the ordinance first went into effect, I felt so sorry for supermarket employees who had to bear the brunt of angry customers. As the weeks have passed, people seem to be adjusting to this new way of shopping and I think it’s wonderful.
So why was there a need for such an ordinance? Single use plastic bags are extremely harmful to the environment and are rarely recycled. That means that they end up littering our streets or in the oceans, which can be extremely harmful to marine life. Birds, fish and other marine animals mistake plastic for food and this can have deadly consequences for them. How many times have you been at the beach and seen a seagull dig into or fly away with a bag of food? While the food may get eaten instantly, the plastic bag will fly away and eventually end up in the ocean.
It’s not that big of an investment to purchase some reusable bags. My first piece of advice is to keep them in your car. Once you unload your groceries, place the bags by the door so you remember to take them with you. If you keep them in your car, you will never find yourself forgetting them. My second piece of advice is to wash those bags! Dirt and debris collects quickly and make the bags filthy over time. Every couple of months I shake out the debris outside and throw them in the washing machine. I let them air dry and they come out perfectly.
The criticism I’ve heard most regarding the plastic bag fee is that the businesses get to keep the money and decide what to do with it. Santori’s Produce and Deli in Somers Point announced recently that they would be donating proceeds from the bag fee to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center. While I think it’s admirable that they are doing this, even better would be if people just stopped using single use plastic bags. If you are concerned with how the money is being used, reach out to the business directly and voice your concerns.
I am extremely proud of Somers Point for following the lead of nearby towns like Ventnor and Longport in passing this ordinance. I hope that other local towns will follow suit and I would also like to see the single use produce bags eliminated from supermarkets. Change is scary, especially to people set in their ways. I commend everyone who has embraced this change. Once you get used to it, bringing your reusable bags to the supermarket will feel like second nature!
Marci Lutsky is a food blogger at Vegging at the Shore, www.veggingattheshore.com and can be reached at veggingattheshore@gmail.com.
