New Jersey Has Banned Plastic Bags. So People Steal Shopping Carts From Grocery Stores

“They’re just disappearing,” said Louis Scaduto Jr., CEO of Middletown-based Food Circus Super Markets, which has four Super Foodtown stores in Monmouth County. “I may actually have to take them down soon, I can’t afford to keep replacing them,” Scaduto wrote in a text message. It’s not just happening at Super Foodtown. The Stop & Shop in Long Branch was out of carry-on baskets during a recent visit. The ShopRite in Freehold Township didn’t have one. “Like other retailers across the state, we have experienced theft of carry-on shopping carts – an unintended consequence of the ban on plastic and paper bags,” Stop & Shop said in a statement. Elderly dies after drinking dishwashing liquid: California senior center serves cleaning liquid to residents, woman with dementia dies Deadly shooting at Oregon grocery store: Safeway worker ‘acted heroically’ to disarm shooter who killed 2 at Oregon store: What we know In May, New Jersey implemented the nation’s strictest carry-on bag ban, banning plastic bags of any thickness, with the exception of plastic bags used for fresh vegetables, deli meats and baked goods. Paper bags are also not allowed in supermarkets and other large grocery stores. Customers were forced to bring their own bags into the store or purchase a reusable one at the checkout line. The New Jersey Food Council, the trade group that represents the state’s grocers, said customers were “for the most part” prepared for the single-use bag ban and complied with the state’s ban. Signs were posted in stores reminding customers to bring their own bags or buy others. Other signs touched on another issue: plastic hand baskets that customers can carry into the store to collect a few items for checkout. The story continues “Hand baskets must remain inside the store at all times,” read a sign at the Stop & Shop in Middletown. “Thanks.” Some customers don’t pay attention to signs like this one at the Stop & Shop in Middletown. Grocers report that people are taking baskets out of the store and not bringing them back. Some customers have heard. Others don’t. “We are aware of anecdotal reports that grocers are experiencing the loss of these hand baskets to varying degrees,” Linda Doherty, president and CEO of the New Jersey Food Council, said in a statement. “We see this as a brief unintended consequence of the new state law.” Some grocers are ordering more while others are considering eliminating baskets, Doherty said. “Some stores also post signs to remind customers to keep baskets in store and use in-store public address systems with similar messages,” Doherty said. “We think in most cases people just forgot to bring them back.” That’s happened in other states and municipalities with bag bans, he said. “It’s not a new trend,” he said. ShopRite spokeswoman Karen O’Shea said some stores have experienced the loss of baskets since the single-use bag ban. Some ShopRite stores have posted signs asking customers to keep baskets in the store. “We hope that people who use our carts will remember to leave them in the store when they’re done shopping, so the carts remain a resource for all of our customers,” O’Shea said. David P. Willis: [email protected] This article originally appeared in the Asbury Park Press: NJ plastic bag ban kills supermarket shopping carts

title: “New Jersey Has Banned Plastic Bags. So People Steal Shopping Carts From Grocery Stores Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-13” author: “Mabel Jordan”

title: “New Jersey Has Banned Plastic Bags. So People Steal Shopping Carts From Grocery Stores Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-18” author: “Lincoln Dabbs”

title: “New Jersey Has Banned Plastic Bags. So People Steal Shopping Carts From Grocery Stores Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-02” author: “Robert Herbert”