New Jersey Assemblyman Proposes Legislation Fining Retailers For Shipping Small Items In Boxes More Than Twice Their Size
MONTCLAIR, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Many of us have been doing a lot more online shopping since the start of the pandemic, and some have noticed those boxes are getting bigger and bigger, even if the items ordered are the same size.
As CBS2's Nick Caloway reports, one lawmaker in New Jersey says enough is enough.
We've all been there. You order some tiny item online, and for some reason, it shows up in a huge box.
"It's just wasteful," Montclair resident Jane Nevin said.
It's a waste of cardboard and packing materials inside, and it drives some people crazy.
"So unnecessary. It does bother me," Lakewood resident Karen Plaskow said.
For example, John McKeon ordered a small "baby on board" magnet from Bed Bath & Beyond to celebrate the birth of his first grandchild.
"Could have fit in the palm of your hand and been in an envelope. Instead, it was in a box probably 25 times the size. Not to mention all the packing material that went with it. But what a waste," he said.
McKeon is not only a new grandfather; he's a New Jersey assemblyman and has been on the environmental committee for two decades.
So the Democrat from Essex County is proposing new legislation that would fine large retailers or big box stores for shipping items in boxes that are more than twice their size, with the goal of reducing waste in the e-commerce industry, which has surged since the onset of the pandemic.
"Just a common sense bill in and of itself should be enough to really just save tons and tons and tons of cardboard and help reduce our carbon footprint," McKeon said.
Bed Bath & Beyond did not respond to CBS2's request for comment, but some major retailers are already trying to cut down on shipping waste.
Amazon has been sending smaller items in smaller boxes or envelopes of late. The company claims to have reduced the weight of outbound packaging by more than 36% over the last seven years.
McKeon does expect some push-back from online retailers, but he's hoping that other lawmakers will deliver and pass the bill into law by this summer.
If passed, large online retailers could be fined between $250-500 for each offense.
CBS2's Nick Caloway contributed to this report.
