A new way of shopping dawned in New Jersey on Wednesday as a ban on plastic carryout bags and plastic foam food containers took effect, the culmination of a years-long effort to cut down on a tsunami of litter than has marred beaches, riverfronts and inland areas across the state. 

Considered one of the nation's most wide-ranging sets of restrictions on everyday plastic products, the measure forced supermarkets, big-box stores, restaurants and small retailers to retire their plastic bags for good. Paper bags were also banned at large supermarkets and big-box stores. 

Some shoppers came prepared with their own reusable bags Wednesday. Others were confused and angry that the bags they had been getting free for generations were no longer available.

While many large businesses, from Wawa to Stop & Shop to Saladworks, adhered to the ban, some delis, bodegas and other mom-and-pop stores either were unaware of the ban or didn't care about it and continued to give out plastic bags Wednesday. Repeat offenses carry fines of up to $5,000.

The bag bins were empty at the self-checkout lines at two Acme supermarkets in West New York and Edgewater early Wednesday morning, and the first bagless customers of the day had to plunk down $1.39 for reusable totes.

One man at the Edgewater location decided to haul four 1-gallon jugs of water in his hands to his car rather than buy a bag. Another customer bought two totes — one for her own groceries and another to give to a neighbor. 

The real test for stores, though, may come this weekend, when more people do their weekly grocery shopping. 

While many supermarkets were quiet Wednesday morning, coffee shops and convenience stores saw a steady stream of customers show up during rush hour to find no plastic bags. 

Checkout clerks at a Wawa in Barnegat handed out a free reusable bag to each of the store's first 1,000 customers and reminded them to start bringing their own bag or buy one for 35 cents going forward. 

"I think [the ban] is a good thing for the environment," said Shaun Cronen, 43, who picked up his usual coffee and snack at the store. "However, it is going to be a bit frustrating and a big transition to be able to remember your bags."

In Eatontown, Kevin Cieri, 63, of Ocean Township went into QuickChek for coffee and a newspaper and noticed signs alerting customers about the change in bag policy.

"I’m resourceful in that I just carried everything without a bag," he said in a Facebook message. "For my big shopping, I will probably buy a bag."

"It’s going to take some time getting used to, but my family and I are on board with doing what we can to cut waste and help out the environment," he said. 

The day was a long time coming for supporters, who see the ban as a crucial tool to rid New Jersey of a prevalent source of litter and to reduce the need for fossil fuels, from which plastics are made. Business groups had criticized the law as needless government intervention that forces consumers to buy other plastic products to carry their groceries and other goods.

The law is one of the rare measures that have a direct impact on all New Jerseyans and their daily behavior.  

The law bans stores from giving shoppers plastic bags of any thickness to carry their purchases home. It also bans paper bags at supermarkets with a footprint of more than 2,500 square feet, in an effort to get shoppers to bring their own reusable bags, such as woven plastic tote bags with handles.

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It bans polystyrene clamshell food containers and other foam products such as plates, cups and food trays. 

On Wednesday morning, Stephanie Oleson said she didn’t mind bringing her own bag to the supermarket. She’s already used to it.

“It’s fine. I just keep forgetting it,” she said during a trip to Stop & Shop in Aberdeen. “It’s a little inconvenient if you forget them, but if you’re used to having them, it’s a way of life, I guess.”

The ban caught Faye Franklin of Matawan by surprise, but she prefers bringing her own bags. “They’re a little larger than the plastic bags," she said. "The plastic bags, they tear a lot.”

Not everyone was as amenable to the changes. “It’s ridiculous,” said Tom Houston of Morganville. “They ended up inconveniencing the customer so they can make more money.”

On Wednesday evening, everything was rather orderly and quiet as the after-work crowd descended on the Target in Edgewater. Some shoppers bought a reusable for 99 cents while many others went old-school: they simply carried their purchases out in their hands. 

Here's what you need to know about New Jersey's plastic bag ban before you head out shopping:

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Reviewed:6 reusable bags that are so much better than single-use plastic

What are you seeing out there on the first day of the ban? Contact reporter Scott Fallon at fallon@northjersey.com.

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