N.J. supermarket shoppers are stealing hand baskets after state bans plastic bags

Some New Jersey supermarkets are experiencing an unintended consequence of the state’s strict plastic bag ban that went into effect this past spring -- customers are walking off with the hard plastic hand baskets used while shopping in stores.

Louis Scaduto Jr., CEO of Food Circus Super Markets, texted, “They are just disappearing. I may actually have to just do away with them soon, can’t afford to keep replacing them.”

New Jersey passed the strictest bag ban in the country, outlawing not only all plasic bags except for those used for fresh vegetables, deli meat and baked goods, but paper bags too.

Customers have to bring their own bags, or buy a reusable one at checkout. Linda Doherty, president and CEO of the New Jersey Food Council, the trade group representing the state’s grocers, said in a statement, “We view this as a short unintended consequence of the new state law,” adding, “We think in most cases people simply forgot to bring them back.”