Evaluating Effects of the Plastic Bag Ban Using Public Clean-up Event Data
Click the Poster to View Full Screen, Right click to save image
Kenya De Dios
College:
The Dorothy and George Hennings College of Science, Mathematics, and Technology
Major:
Biology/Enviornmental Option
Faculty Research Advisor(s):
Daniela Shebitz
Abstract:
Working with New Jersey Clean Communities, data on litter were collected from Clean Ocean Action Beach Sweeps.
The New Jersey Clean Communities is a trash abatement program. The Clean Ocean Action is a nonprofit organization from New Jersey. The organization conducts a yearly coastal clean-ups. Focusing on the annual clean-ups from Clean Ocean Action, data were collected and analyzed to compare pre and post ban of plastic bags in the clean up. As of May 4, 2022, retail establishments, supermarkets, and food service establishments in New Jersey have been prohibited from offering or selling single-use plastic carryout bags. Having a ban on plastic store bags will lower the abundance of plastic bags in clean ups. Did the quantity of plastic bags discovered at clean-up events reduce considerably after the ban? Numbers and percentages will show plastic bags being less littered in NJ/NY ocean coasts followed by the Plastic Bag Ban.