New Jersey will enact new laws to fine e-commerce companies for excessive packaging

Here's what happened: New Jersey Congressman John McKeon ordered a " Baby on Board " magnet from the Bed Bath & Beyond website for his daughter and son-in-law to celebrate the birth of his first grandchild .

When McKeon received the package, he was stunned. It was a magnet that the merchant could have put in an envelope and mailed, but now it was packed in a paper box that was at least 20 times larger than the magnet .

In contrast, McKeon said he ordered a Baby Yoda - themed " Baby on Board " magnet from another retailer and it was mailed in an envelope , which he thought was the most appropriate packaging.

McKeon is sponsoring a proposal to ban single- use paper and plastic bags , NJ A2235 (22R), which would fine large retailers for packaging products in boxes that are more than twice the size of the item .

The bill states that in order to reduce packaging waste associated with online shopping, large online retailers and major retailers must reduce the size of boxes used to ship products to consumers .

While McKeon's experience was with Bed Bath & Beyond , Amazon, a major employer in New Jersey , is also known for excessive packaging . In recent years, Amazon has begun using bubble-shock envelopes for mailing small items.

If McKeon's proposal becomes law, companies that violate the law will face fines of $250 to $500 per violation. The bill would apply to online businesses with more than $1 million in gross sales in New Jersey , or retail stores with at least 75,000 square feet of space and 50 or more employees.

Regarding the phenomenon of excessive packaging of packages, Hae Chang Gea, director of the packaging engineering program at Rutgers University , said that packages are dropped an average of 17 times during transportation , which is why retailers choose to ship large boxes with a lot of fillers . This is the safest way , but it is not a sustainable way.

Thanks to its geographical advantage, New Jersey has a well-developed highway system and is a prime location for distribution centers for U.S. e-commerce retailers. The state has many e-commerce warehouses , and McKeon 's proposal has caused widespread controversy.

Since McKeon's bill has just been introduced, its prospects are unclear. However, McKeon said he will continue to amend the bill to provide exceptions for fragile product packaging and minimize the waste of resources in the e-commerce industry .

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