Some chewing gum may be banned in NJ as critics call move totally ridiculous

They’re really gumming up the works.Two New Jersey lawmakers have proposed that some gum eventually be banned in the Garden State — and outraged critics are chewing them out — calling the move “totally ridiculous” and declaring that “NJ government is losing their minds.”The $3 million dollar Protecting Against Microplastics Act was introduced in September by Democratic state Assemblywomen Shama Haider and Margi Donlon — with the goal of banning products that contain intentionally added microplastics, including some chewing gum, tea bags, plastic cutlery and containers, cleaning products and cosmetics.The proposal would require companies to add warning labels on their products that include “intentionally added synthetic polymer microparticles” for two years.After that period, any noncompliant goods would be banned from being sold in New Jersey.

“Beginning three years after the effective date of this act, no person shall sell, offer for sale, or distribute for sale in the State any cleaning, cosmetic, or potentially ingestible products, if those products contain intentionally added microplastics,” the proposal states.The plan comes at a hefty price.“The bill would appropriate $2.5 million to the DEP for the purposes of implementing the source reduction program, conducting microplastics-related research, and monitoring and testing environmental media, such as air, water, and soil, for microplastics,” it explained.Another $500,000 would be paid to the Department of Law and Public Safety, so the agency could enforce the label disclosures and ban.The social media handle Teacher in NJ, run by an educator and mom from Ocean County, posted about the news on Instagram and Facebook and her feed was inundated with outraged commenters.Many were appalled by the proposal in their state, which just enacted the “Skip the Stuff” law in August, banning restaurants from automatically supplying plastic utensils and condiment packets.“Can they please ...