It has been four months since New Jersey implemented its plastic bag ban, and some are adjusting to the change better than others.

Environmental activists say that the ban has already stopped hundreds of millions of plastic bags from polluting the environment. Meanwhile, many New Jerseyans who are groaning through the change, say that they just hope it is helping.

Residents like Tony Delaney are amassing an impressive collection of reusable grocery bags. Delaney admits that he misses the plastic ones.

“My whole thing is like, there are other things that are out there that are plastic they’re not banning but they got rid of plastic bags. It makes absolutely no sense,” he says.

Many are getting used to the ritual of bringing their bags with them when they shop – or at least running back out to the car to grab forgotten ones. Others are testing the limits of how much they can carry without bags.

And News 12 has learned that some are outright ignoring the ban – an issue that created quite the controversy on a Union County Facebook group when a local business was still using plastic bags, and someone ratted them out.

“Shoutout to the ultimate Karen that ratted out [store name]” one commenter wrote.

It is possible to report violators of the law to the state government for potential fines.

Even paper bags are banned for markets greater than 2,500 square feet.

News 12 also found that members of younger generations seem to have taken to the new law more quickly than those who are older.

Other states have also banned plastic bags, but New Jersey’s law is said to be the strictest in the nation.