MORRIS COUNTY — Starting August 1, restaurants, cafés, coffee shops, diners, food trucks, drive-thrus and other food service businesses in Parsippany and across 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 10 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. K-12 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.
According to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the measure builds on the state’s broader effort to reduce single-use plastics, following a 2022 ban on single-use plastic carryout bags and polystyrene foam food containers, and a 2021 requirement that plastic straws be provided only upon request.
Environmental groups, including Clean Water Action, have pointed to the volume of disposable utensils discarded nationally each year, much of it never used, as a driver behind the legislation. The National Caucus of Environmental Legislators has described New Jersey’s law as among the most comprehensive of its kind in the country.
A fiscal analysis by the New Jersey Office of Legislative Services found the law could produce long-term savings for restaurants and government-run food service facilities by reducing the purchase of disposable items, though some businesses may face short-term adjustment costs. The analysis also noted that state and local governments will take on additional enforcement responsibilities, with fines collected supporting litter cleanup and environmental education through the Clean Communities Program Fund.
Businesses that do not comply will receive a warning for a first violation, followed by a $100 fine for a second offense and $250 for a third or subsequent violation within a 12-month period.
Parsippany restaurant and food service owners with questions about compliance can consult guidance from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
