MORRIS COUNTY — Starting August 1, restaurants, cafés, coffee shops, diners, food trucks, drive-thrus and other food service businesses across Morris County and New Jersey will only be permitted to provide single-use utensils and condiment packets when customers specifically request them, under the state’s new “Skip the Stuff” law.
The law, known as S3195, applies regardless of whether an order is placed in person, by phone, online or through a delivery app. Online ordering systems will also be required to default to “no utensils or condiments,” requiring customers to actively opt in if they want them.
The law also changes dine-in service. Full-service restaurants with seating for ten or more customers will be required to provide reusable, washable utensils for customers eating on-site instead of disposable cutlery.
Customers will still be able to request disposable forks, knives, spoons, chopsticks, napkins and condiment packets. Businesses are not required to offer these items, but if they do, they may only hand out the specific types and quantities a customer asks for.
A related provision takes effect later: starting August 1, 2027, restaurants will no longer be allowed to offer bundled packs containing multiple disposable utensils or condiments, though self-service stations dispensing individual items will still be permitted in certain settings.
The law includes several exemptions. Kindergarten-through-twelfth-grade schools, health care facilities, and county or state correctional facilities are not covered by the requirements, and food court vendors have until August 1, 2028, to comply. Prepackaged food products that include utensils or condiments during manufacturing, along with single-use sauce cups served with specialty menu items, are also exempt.
Article sourced from MorrisFocus.com.