NJ’s Latest Law Could Change Takeout Food Forever

Former NJ. Gov. Phil Murphy is getting attention for many of the new laws he signed before leaving office on January 19th.

Murphy signed over 120 bills into law just hours before Mikie Sherill was sworn in as New Jersey’s 57th governor.

One law allows three New Jersey hospitals to receive state funding to research the medicinal benefits of the chemical in hallucinogenic mushrooms. Another law increased restrictions on the use of e-bikes in New Jersey.

Murphy also signed a law that extends the state’s fiscal monitoring of Atlantic City for another six years.

The law we will be looking at today ended the practice of fast-food businesses and restaurants automatically providing plastic utensils and single packet condiments to customers; now you will have to request them.

Restrictions on Plastic Forks and Condiment Packets

New Jersey joins several states that have enacted "Skip the Stuff" laws restricting the automatic distribution of plastic utensils and condiment packets, requiring them to be provided only upon request.

States with Skip the Stuff laws include California, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, and Oregon

What Does the Law Do?

The new law prohibits restaurants and food trucks from providing single-use utensils to dine-in customers, and all restaurants can only provide disposable knives, forks, and spoons to customers who request them or through self-serve dispensers.

The bill, sponsored by Sens. Bob Smith and Raj Mukherji, will take effect on Aug. 1st.

“Millions of tons of plastics are disposed of every year in this country, most of which ends up in a landfill at best, and into urban areas or the ocean at worst,” Smith says.

“This bill would make significant strides to decrease the amount of litter that ends up in our communities.

Full-service restaurants with seating for 10 or more customers would be required to provide their on-site customers with easy access to reusable, washable utensils to use.

If a full-service restaurant offers takeout or delivery services, it would be permitted to provide single-use utensils and condiments with takeout orders only if a customer requests them.

NJ already has similar legislation regarding single-use plastics that limit plastic straw use and a ban on plastic bags and foam.

Fines Will Be Levied to Violators

Food service businesses that violate its rules will be subject to a warning for the first offense, a $100 fine for the second offense, and a fine of $250 for the third and each subsequent offense.

According to environmental organization and bill supporter Oceana, laws like these are the most effective way to stop the growing plastic pollution crisis

“Too often, takeout orders come loaded with plastic utensils and condiment packets that customers didn’t ask for, and those items quickly become waste. This law will mean less single-use plastic in the oceans and savings for restaurants.”

I do agree that many of these single condiment packets are wasted.

We ordered Chinese food deliveryover the weekend, and the restaurant sent enough sauce packets to dam up the Great Egg Harbor Bay.

But the next time I get fries to go and forget to ask for a ketchup packet with my order, I will be one unhappy fry guy.