The last straw: In N.J., single-use plastic straws to be provided by food businesses upon request only starting Nov. 4

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Starting Nov. 4, food businesses in New Jersey can only provide single-use plastic straws to customers upon request.

Food-service businesses, including all restaurants, convenience stores, and fast-food businesses, must also educate their employees and customers about the restriction that is meant to decrease the use of plastic in the state.

Consumers will still be able to purchase packages of straws and beverages prepackaged with a straw such as juice boxes after Nov. 4. The restriction on single-use plastic straws is part of a broader state law enacted in 2020 banning the sale or provision of single-use plastic carryout bags from stores and food-service businesses, single-use paper carryout bags from grocery stores larger than or equal to 2,500 square feet, and the use of polystyrene foam food-service products. These other provisions of the law take effect on May 4 of 2022 and will supersede any established local laws at that time.

“When we move beyond single-use plastics, we can reduce our reliance on the fossil fuels that create plastic, remove a source of litter from our communities, and protect wild and marine life from the harm of ingesting or becoming entangled in plastic products,” said New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette.

For more information about the law, visit www.nj.gov/dep/plastic-ban-law/.

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Krystal Knapp is the founding editor of Planet Princeton. Follow her on Twitter @krystalknapp. She can be reached via email at editor AT planetprinceton.com. Send all letters to the editor and press releases to that email address.

2 Comments

  1. Restaurants should be encouraged to include plastic eating utensils ONLY when a customer requests them.

  2. If you want people to STOP using plastic straws altogether just throw in an extra charge for them. The people that are complaining about not being “allowed” to use them anymore unless you ask for them are the same people that would not part with the extra money for them in the first place And now you’ve just given them something NEW to complain about .

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