NEW JERSEY TARGETS PLASTIC PACKAGING THAT FILLS LANDFILLS AND POLLUTES

New Jersey is aiming to drastically reduce the amount of packaging material — particularly plastic — that is thrown away after the package is opened.

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From bubble wrap to puffy air-filled plastic pockets to those foam peanuts that seem to immediately spill all over the floor, lots of what keeps items safe during shipping often ends up in landfills, or in the environment as pollution.

A bill under discussion in the state Legislature would require all such materials used in the state to be recyclable or compostable by 2034. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says containers and packaging materials from shopping account for about 28% of municipal waste sent to landfills in the U.S.

The New Jersey bill seeks to move away from plastics and imposes fees on manufacturers and distributors for a $120 million fund to bolster recycling and reduce solid waste.

California, Colorado, Oregon, Maine, and Minnesota have already passed similar bills, according to the environmental group Beyond Plastics.