NEW JERSEY:  MAJORITY SUPPORTS PLASTIC BAG BAN; BUT FEW AWARE OF BAN ON PAPER

Decrease revenue residents anticipate more durable time to adapt

West Lengthy Department, NJ – Most New Jerseyans are conscious {that a} ban on single-use plastic baggage will go into impact subsequent month, however the phrase “ban” might imply various things to completely different folks. There may be majority assist for a “plastic bag ban,” however many backers would nonetheless desire to have entry to plastic baggage for a small charge. On the identical time, the Monmouth (“Mon-muth”) College Ballot finds that many New Jerseyans are more likely to be caught off guard in the event that they anticipate to have the ability to get a paper bag. Few are conscious {that a} ban on paper at giant supermarkets is included within the new guidelines. Total, most state residents say will probably be straightforward for them to regulate to bringing their very own baggage after they store, however these on the decrease finish of the revenue scale are extra possible than others to say they’ll have a really exhausting time adjusting.

Seven in ten New Jerseyans are conscious that shops will probably be prohibited from offering single-use plastic carryout baggage beginning in Could – 33% have heard lots and 37% have heard somewhat about this.  Total, 61% of state residents assist a plastic bag ban, which has similarities to public assist in 2019 (65%).

The ballot finds the definition of a “ban” will not be constant amongst each Backyard State resident, nonetheless. When introduced with a lot of completely different choices, 30% assist an outright ban on all single-use plastic baggage, however 28% desire to permit clients to pay a small charge if they need a plastic bag. One other 41% say shops ought to proceed to be allowed to present away single-use plastic baggage at no cost. These outcomes are just about unchanged from a Monmouth ballot taken three years in the past.

“Most New Jerseyans assist efforts to cut back plastic use, the query is how pleased they are going to be with the change as soon as it goes into impact,” mentioned Patrick Murray, director of the impartial Monmouth College Polling Institute.

About 2 in 3 residents total say will probably be both very straightforward (38%) or considerably straightforward (28%) for them to adapt to bringing their very own baggage after they store. A big phase of the general public (38%) say they already convey their very own baggage when searching for groceries. However half (50%) usually use the shop’s plastic baggage and 10% use paper baggage supplied by the shop. Amongst present plastic and paper bag customers, simply over half say adapting to bringing their very own baggage will probably be both very (22%) or considerably (32%) straightforward.

Generally, New Jerseyans on the decrease finish of the revenue scale might have the toughest time adjusting to the ban on single-use baggage. One-fourth (24%) of those that make lower than $50,000 a yr say this alteration will probably be very troublesome for them, in contrast with 15% of these incomes $50,000 to $100,000 and 10% of these making over $100,000. Whereas 57% of these incomes lower than $50,000 say they assist a ban on single-use plastic baggage, absolutely 51% of this group would favor that shops nonetheless have the ability to give them out at no cost and one other 26% say they need to have the ability to cost clients a small charge for them.

“The upcoming ban is more likely to produce probably the most confusion and issues for these on very tight incomes, particularly for these with restricted transportation choices,” mentioned Murray.

The brand new legislation additionally features a ban on giving out paper baggage in giant supermarkets. Solely 28% of the general public is conscious of this provision and fewer than half (47%) helps it. Curiously, there’s little or no distinction between Democratic (52%) and Republican (49%) backing of this measure. This stands in distinction to statewide opinion on banning numerous single-use plastics which have large partisan gaps.

“Lots of people who assume that they’ll merely bag their groceries in paper as a substitute of plastic on the checkout subsequent month are in for a shock,” mentioned Murray.

In different ballot findings, practically two-thirds of the general public helps a ban on takeout containers and cups fabricated from polystyrene foam (64%), which is a part of the legislation going into impact subsequent month. Simply over half (52%) again a ban on plastic straws, which is similar to public assist in 2019.  The ballot additionally finds that solely somewhat over half the general public (51%) is conscious that the legislation on plastic straws modified final fall, requiring clients to request a straw fairly than be given one mechanically. When requested how New Jersey meals institutions are dealing with this, 47% of state residents report that almost all are complying with the brand new rule whereas 32% say most are nonetheless giving out plastic straws with out being requested by the shopper.

“The brand new plastic straw rule wants a bit extra direct commentary to evaluate compliance. Half the general public hasn’t even heard of it and there could also be selective reminiscence amongst those that have about companies complying with the brand new rule,” mentioned Murray.

At the least two-thirds of Democrats assist the bans on single-use plastic baggage (72%), foam containers (73%), and plastic straws (67%). Just below half of Republicans again the ban on plastic baggage (44%) and foam containers (49%), and simply 1 in 4 assist a ban on plastic straws (26%).

The Monmouth College Ballot was performed by phone from March 31 to April 4, 2022 with 802 New Jersey adults.  The query outcomes on this launch have a margin of error of +/- 3.5 share factors. The ballot was performed by the Monmouth College Polling Institute in West Lengthy Department, NJ.

QUESTIONS AND RESULTS     

(* Some columns might not add to 100% attributable to rounding.)

[Q1 held for future release.]

[Q2-20 previously released.]

21. If you go grocery buying, do you usually convey your personal baggage, do you utilize single-use plastic baggage supplied by the shop, or do you utilize paper baggage supplied by the shop at checkout?  [If MIXED or DEPENDS: What do you use most of the time?]

22. Do you assist or oppose a ban on single-use plastic baggage in New Jersey, resembling these given out at supermarkets or different shops?

* Query wording in 2019 was “Would you assist or oppose a ban…”

[QUESTIONS 23-25 WERE ROTATED]

23. Do you assist or oppose a ban on giving out paper buying baggage in giant supermarkets?

24. Do you assist or oppose a ban on takeout meals containers and cups which are made out of polystyrene, generally referred to as Styrofoam?

25. Do you assist or oppose a ban on plastic straws in New Jersey?

        * Query wording in 2019 was “Would you assist or oppose a ban…”

26. In terms of single-use plastic baggage given out at shops, which of the next would you favor: a whole ban on single-use plastic baggage, making clients pay a small charge if they need a plastic bag, or permitting shops to proceed to present away plastic baggage at no cost?

27. Starting in Could, shops in New Jersey will probably be prohibited from offering clients with single-use plastic carryout baggage, even for a charge. This is applicable to all shops, together with supermarkets, clothes and residential items shops, pharmacies and meals institutions. Have you ever heard about this upcoming ban on plastic baggage, or not?  [If YES: Have you heard a lot or a little?]

28. The brand new rules additionally embody a ban on giant supermarkets giving out paper baggage, even for a charge. Have you ever heard about this a part of the upcoming ban, or not?

29. How straightforward will or not it’s so that you can adapt to having to convey your personal baggage everytime you buy groceries – very straightforward, considerably straightforward, considerably troublesome, or very troublesome?

30. Since November, New Jersey meals institutions usually are not supposed to present out plastic straws for drink orders except a buyer requests one. Had been you conscious of this new rule, or have been you not conscious of this prior to now?

31. Based mostly in your expertise, are most New Jersey meals institutions following this new rule or are most nonetheless giving out plastic straws with out the shopper having to ask for one?

[Q32-37 held for future release.]

[Q38-45 previously released.]

METHODOLOGY

The Monmouth College Ballot was sponsored and performed by the Monmouth College Polling Institute from March 31 to April 4, 2022 with a probability-based random pattern of 802 New Jersey adults age 18 and older, in English. This consists of 280 contacted by a reside interviewer on a landline phone and 522 contacted by a reside interviewer on a cellular phone. Phone numbers have been chosen by random digit dialing and landline respondents have been chosen with a modified Troldahl-Carter youngest grownup family display. Monmouth is accountable for all facets of the survey design, information weighting and evaluation. The complete pattern is weighted for area, age, schooling, gender and race primarily based on US Census data (ACS 2018 one-year survey). Knowledge assortment assist supplied by Braun Analysis (area) and Dynata (RDD pattern).  For outcomes primarily based on this pattern, one can say with 95% confidence that the error attributable to sampling has a most margin of plus or minus 3.5 share factors (unadjusted for pattern design). Sampling error will be bigger for sub-groups (see desk under). Along with sampling error, one ought to keep in mind that query wording and sensible difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of opinion polls.

NJ Areas (by county)

North – Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Union, Warren

Central – Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Somerset

South – Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape Could, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean, Salem

Crosstabs could also be discovered within the PDF file on the report webpage:  https://www.monmouth.edu/polling-institute/stories/monmouthpoll_NJ_041922/

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