Reusable Bag Initiatives
The Single Use Plastic Bag Ban in New Jersey went into effect on May 4th of 2022. Currently, nearly 300 of our network partners (food pantries, soup kitchens, and more) are accepting donations of clean, new, or gently used reusable shopping bags. These partners distribute the nutritious food supplied by the Community FoodBank of New Jersey to our neighbors in need.
A plastic bag ban presents a new challenge to our agencies looking to get food into the hands of hungry New Jerseyans quickly and efficiently. That is why we have launched our reusable bag initiatives that can help make a difference. By donating a new or gently used reusable shopping bag, you are not only helping the environment, but keeping costs down for our partners.
Which Sites Will Accept My Reusable Shopping Bags
Please see the map below for information about which of our partner agencies will happily accept your donation of reusable shopping bags. Please call sites at the listed phone numbers to check operating hours.
Food Bank of
South Jersey
Click here for drop-off locations
Serving: Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Salem counties
Fulfill
FoodBank
Click here to learn more
Serving: Monmouth and Ocean counties
Mercer Street Friends Food Bank
Click here to learn more
Drop-off location: 824 Silvia St., Ewing, NJ 08628
Serving: Mercer Counter
Southern Regional Food Distribution Center
Click here to learn more
Drop-off location: 6140 Mays Landing Rd., Vineland, NJ 08361
Serving: Cumberland County
This initiative is a partnership with Wegmans, Stop & Shop, and Wakefern Food Corp.
How Do I Clean My Reusable Shopping Bags?
Donating gently used reusable shopping bags helps us out immensely, but it’s important that they’re in good condition. That being said, there are several ways to sanitize your reusable bags! Here are some common ways to clean specific bag materials:
Woven or nonwoven polypropylene bags: Machine wash on a gentle cycle with soap (not detergent!) and cold water. Or you can hand wash in your kitchen or bathroom sink with soap and water. Skip the dryer—instead, hand or line dry.
Nylon or polyester: Hand wash in warm water with soap (not detergent!). Turn the bag inside out and line dry.
Bamboo or hemp bags: Launder on a gentle cycle with mild detergent or soap. (Or hand wash.) Machine or hang dry.
Cotton bags: Launder with hot water and your normal, go-to detergent. Feel free to hand wash as well! Machine or hang dry.
Insulated bags: Hand wash with soap and warm water (don’t forget the inner and outer seams). Wipe with disinfecting wipes. Hang dry.
You can also use disinfecting wipes or sprays to clean bags. You can usually determine the material of the bag by checking the manufacturer tag.
Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Donations of food and other items are crucial to our mission. Last year, 27% of the food we distributed was given to us by people just like you who want to reach out and help their community by bringing food donations to us directly or holding a virtual food drive. However, with our enormous purchasing and sourcing power, CFBNJ is able to obtain the highly nutritious food that hungry people in New Jersey need, so please consider giving a monetary gift today.