{"id":6057,"date":"2026-08-03T16:09:09","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T16:09:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=6057"},"modified":"2026-08-03T16:09:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T16:09:09","slug":"nj-diners-fume-over-new-skip-the-stuff-law-affecting-take-out-orders-next-will-be-toilet-paper-in-public-bathrooms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=6057","title":{"rendered":"NJ diners fume over new ‘Skip the Stuff’ law affecting take-out orders: ‘Next will be toilet paper in public bathrooms’"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Get the fork outta here!<\/p>\n

New Jersey takeout customers must now request single-use plastic items \u2014 like utensils, straws and even condiment packets \u2014 under a new law that social media users are sounding off against.<\/p>\n

Read more Hate crimes soar under divisive, anti-Israel Mayor Mamdani \u2014 with more than half committed against Jews: NYPD stats<\/a><\/p>\n

The \u201cSkip the Stuff\u201d law puts an end to the longstanding practice of eateries automatically loading up to-go bags with extras that many New Jerseyans have come to take for granted.<\/p>\n

The law \u2014 signed by former Gov. Phil Murphy in January \u2014 took effect Aug. 1 as the Garden State looks to further reduce plastic waste and reduce the environmental footprint of food purveyors.<\/p>\n

Skip the Stuff builds on previous plastic reduction efforts by the legislature in the state, including banning single-use plastic carryout bags and polystyrene foam food containers in 2022, and restricting the use of plastic straws in 2021.<\/p>\n

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) said the goal behind the effort is to \u201creduce waste by only taking what you actually need.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unlike grocery stores in the state, where plastic bags are unavailable even if a customer asks for one, diners can still avail themselves of freebie plastic knives, forks and spoons, chopsticks and condiment packets from take-out orders \u2014 but only by request.<\/p>\n

Online food ordering platforms like DoorDash and Instacart are bound by the same restrictions, and now must default to not providing utensils unless a customer specifically opts in.<\/p>\n

The restriction will also apply to eat-in restaurants with seating for at least 10 customers, which now can only provide washable utensils for patrons. They\u2019ll also be required to only serve condiments in full-size bottles or resuable containers rather than packets.<\/p>\n

NJDEP is asking customers do their part by only requesting the items needed, noting that approximately 95% of food packaging is discarded after one use, introducing unnecessary plastic into the ecosystem.<\/p>\n

Read more Bus-fare evasion is just the start of Kathy Hochul\u2019s looming MTA cash woes<\/a><\/p>\n

K-12 schools in the state both public and private are exempt from the new law, as are state correctional facilities and healthcare facilities.<\/p>\n

Food court restaurants are exempt until Aug. 1, 2028.<\/p>\n

NJDEP says restaurants will receive a warning for their first violation, but a second could bring fines of up to $100 per day, with each subsequent violation carrying penalties of up to $250 per day.<\/p>\n

Social media opinion was largely in opposition to the new law, chalking it up to \u201cvirtue signaling\u201d by Democratic politicians in the state.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s obviously something Democrats came up with because it makes no sense,\u201d one X user chimed in.<\/p>\n

Another speculated it was another sign of communism slowly seeping its way into the American political mainstream.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe truth is, under communism nothing is free, including the inalienable rights and freedoms provided by western society. Control always starts small and innocuous, like plastic utensil restrictions,\u201d a commenter wrote.<\/p>\n

Others expressed fear the prohibition would be a slippery slope.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

\u201cNext will be toilet paper in public bathrooms,\u201d an X user mused.<\/p>\n

Public opinion online wasn\u2019t dead-set against the policy, however, with some praising the state for stopping short of an outright ban.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not? Most of it gets tossed in the trash unused anyway,\u201d one commenter pointed out.<\/p>\n

Read more Ja\u2019Lynn Polk abruptly retires from the NFL at 24-years-old after Patriots trade<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Get the fork out of here.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6056,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6057","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-metro"],"yoast_head":"\nNJ diners fume over new 'Skip the Stuff' law affecting take-out orders: 'Next will be toilet paper in public bathrooms' - Metro Transit Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=6057\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"NJ diners fume over new 'Skip the Stuff' law affecting take-out orders: 'Next will be toilet paper in public bathrooms' - Metro Transit Review\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Get the fork out of here.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=6057\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Metro Transit Review\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-08-03T16:09:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=6057#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=6057\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/7cd7bd9683106710eed62ba5da559b14\"},\"headline\":\"NJ diners fume over new ‘Skip the Stuff’ law affecting take-out orders: ‘Next will be toilet paper in public bathrooms’\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-03T16:09:09+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=6057\"},\"wordCount\":578,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=6057#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/1b4f6de8d5371e0306235fa141bf9844.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Metro\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=6057#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=6057\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=6057\",\"name\":\"NJ diners fume over new 'Skip the Stuff' law affecting take-out orders: 'Next will be toilet paper in public bathrooms' - 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