The new law aims to reduce single-use plastics, like plastic forks and ketchup packets.
* Clean Water Action’s program “ReThink Disposable” aims to reduce single-use plastic consumption and plastic pollution.
* Plastic posed threats to animal health and has been found in various organs of the human body.
* A new law in New Jersey will stop restaurants from giving single-use utensils to customers, unless they ask.
* Recycling efforts pale in comparison to the tons of plastic generated. Some 20,000 tons of plastic bags and packaging were recycled out of 440,000 tons produced.
A Middletown woman is on a mission.
And she is taking it international.
Marta Young is a waste specialist with the environmental organization Clean Water Action and its program called ReThink Disposable. The program’s mission is to reduce single-use products consumption and its presence in the waste stream.
With plastic so ubiquitous that it is found in human bodies, in the environment and in the food supply, Young’s ambitions are large.
“The more I learn about the harms of plastic, the scarier it becomes,” said Young. “So much of plastic is single use. We didn’t used to be a throwaway society. And we don’t need to be.”
Plastics take hundreds of years or more to completely decompose, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The material poses a threat to marine animals, which can die from eating large amounts of plastic, according to the agency.
In addition, research shows microscopic plastic pieces may be harmful to humans. They have been found accumulating in such human organs as the liver, kidneys and placenta, according to the EPA.
In 2023, Rutgers University scientists found evidence that microplastics containing nylon disrupted sex hormones in rats.
On Feb. 23, researchers at NYU Langone Health and its Perlmutter Cancer Center discovered higher levels of microplastics in cancerous prostate tumors than in surrounding tissue.
Young said plastic is “getting into people’s waterways, into people’s drinking water, into local creeks and rivers.”
The recycling problem, and the ‘Skip the Stuff’ law
In addition, only a fraction of single-use plastics consumed in the United States are ever recycled, she said. In 2018, less than 5,000 tons of polystyrene containers were recycled out of the 80,000 tons that were generated, according to the EPA.
While the nation produced 440,000 tons of plastic wrap, bags and packaging that same year, only 20,000 tons (3.6%) were recycled, according to the agency.
“It’s doing everybody a disservice to think that we can recycle our way out of this,” said Young. “Instead, we should just be reducing… and there’s a lot of easy ways that we can reduce plastic.”
New Jersey’s law that prohibits stores from dispensing single-use plastic bags is a good first step, she said, but she noted more can be done. Recently, Young played a leading role in helping New Jersey legislators pass what is known as the “Skip the stuff” law. The law, which will go into effect Aug. 1, will prohibit restaurants and fast-food establishments from giving out single-use plastic utensils and condiments, unless a customer requests the items.
By Aug. 1, 2027, restaurants will not be able to give out any bundled utensil kits that contain multiple, single-use plastic items.
State Sen. Bob Smith, who represents portions of Middlesex and Somerset counties in Trenton, said the bill marks a new step in reducing plastic pollution.
That first plastic bag ban law has “taken… about 2.8 billion bags out of New Jersey’s environment every year,” said Smith, who was the primary sponsor of the “Skip the stuff” bill. “New Jersey looks cleaner and greener, and there’s less plastic in the environment that’s breaking down into microplastics.”
Smith said the new law will help reduce the handfuls of plastic forks and ketchup packets that are thrown haphazardly into delivery bags, most of which end up in junk drawers or go straight into the trash.
“If you went to Robert Wood Johnson (University Hospital in New Brunswick) and had a blood test today and asked them to test your blood for microplastics, guess what? They’re going to be there, and they’re also going to be in your brain,” he said.
Monmouth County charity joins forces
Young’s fight against plastic pollution does not stop at state level. In Monmouth County, she worked with Interfaith Neighbors, a charitable organization that provides meals to homebound seniors and works with local soup kitchens, to reduce their single-use plastics consumption.
Beth Paterno, director of nutrition for Interfaith Neighbors and the Meals on Wheels program, said the collaboration has helped reduce single-use plastics in meals to 800 homebound seniors and another 150 individuals who gather for meals.
“Clean Water Action donated reusable plates, silverware, bowls and cups so we could eliminate the single-use plastic and paper ones,” Paterno said in an email. “This impacted our need to buy these items, which has been a tremendous cost savings. With Marta (Young)’s advice we eliminated sugary fruit cups and added fresh fruit, which turned out to be a cheaper alternative.
“We are so thankful for Clean Ocean Action. With this donation we have been able to serve our congregate their meals with the new cutlery and flatware, which makes a much nicer presentation. Our homebound clients now receive fresh fruit as a much healthier alternative to fruit cups.”
Malaysia bound for anti-plastic conference
In the wake of her New Jersey successes, Young is next headed to Malaysia for the “Break Free from Plastic” conference. She is one of 16 people from North America who will be attending, she said. The group there will strategize on government policies, public advocacy and other measures aimed at reducing plastic in the environment, she said.
Yet there still remain many easy, inexpensive ways for every New Jersey resident to reduce their reliance on single-use plastic, she said. Easy switches include:
* carrying a reusable water bottle or coffee mug
* carrying reusable cutlery in the car
* making a one-time purchase of washable, shatterproof dishes for outdoor meals, like picnics and barbecues.
“I have full faith that when people understand, we can all do a better job and we can hold the (plastics) industry accountable to make change, so we are not surrounded by plastic,” she said.
Amanda Oglesby is an Ocean County native who covers education and the environment. She has worked for the Press for more than 18 years. Reach her at [email protected] or 732-557-5701.
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