War On Plastic: Hawaii, New Jersey Propose Toughest Bans in the Country

More states are saying no to single-use plastics.

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More states are jumping on the anti-plastic bandwagon as Hawaii and New Jersey introduce legislation to ban plastic bags, straws, food containers as well as Styrofoam food and drink containers.

“The goal here was not just to clean up litter but to deal with litter that is not biodegradable,” New Jersey Sen. Linda Greenstein told Fox News.

Hawaii state Sen. Mike Gabbard told the network that humans need to depend less on products created by using dirty energy sources.

“Plastic is made from fossil fuels and it’s time for us as a society to move away from our dependence on petroleum and toward clean energy sources,” Gabbard said.

Cities like Chicago and Boston have bans on single-use bags however, the only statewide bans are on the books in California and Hawaii.

Although litter might not be the biggest issue, a ban on these items would still be beneficial as recycling facilities deal with loads of plastics as they regularly clog and contaminate the machines.

“It’s extremely controversial, no question. But my starting point is this something that would be good and important for the environment, and I believe it is,” Sen. Greenstein said. She urges citizens and business owners to contact her if they have any questions.

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