The Ventnor Green Team, Sustainable Downbeach Green Team and the South Jersey Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation are working together to raise awareness about plastic bags and the harm they bring to Absecon Island.
As a barrier island community whose tourist economy depends on clean beaches and a clean ocean, we are hoping the City of Ventnor follows the lead of Longport, which recently became the first town in NJ to pass an ordinance imposing a fee on plastic bags.
Placing a fee on plastic bags has been shown to greatly reduce the amount of plastic bag litter in communities. And because the fee collected stays with the local retailer, it helps our business community offset some of the costs that they incur to supply customers with bags. As a coastal community, we hope that you will agree that it’s our collective responsibility to protect our ocean by reducing our plastic use.
The Ventnor and Downbeach Green Teams and South Jersey Surfrider Foundation have proposed that the Ventnor City Commission adopt an ordinance, like Longport’s, that would place a ten cent fee on carry out bags, paper and plastic, provided at the point of sale (with some exceptions).
If you have any comments or questions please email: VentnorGreenTeam@gmail.com
