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Tenafly council backs drafting ‘skip the stuff’ ordinance to limit single‑use plastic utensils
Summary
Council supported moving forward with a 'skip the stuff' ordinance (utensils provided only on request), asked environmental liaison to coordinate with restaurants and health inspections, and agreed enforcement would fall to the health officer and code enforcement.
Tenafly councilmembers supported drafting a local ordinance to stop automatic distribution of disposable plastic utensils at restaurants and directed staff to work with the environmental commission and the health officer on implementation.
The proposal—known in other municipalities as a “skip the stuff” ordinance—would require restaurants to provide plastic utensils only upon customer request. The council’s environmental liaison said about a dozen New Jersey municipalities have passed similar measures and that local restaurants could be notified through routine health‑inspection channels. One councilmember noted local businesses such as the Tenafly Diner already charge for utensils in some cases.
Council members discussed enforcement and penalties. The proposed draft initially included a fine not to exceed $2,000; the council agreed to reduce the penalty to $1,000 to make it less onerous and more consistent with prior conversations. Enforcement would be handled by the health officer and code enforcement. The environmental liaison said staff would notify the Chamber of Commerce and the borough’s restaurant inspection staff to coordinate outreach if the council approves the ordinance.
No final ordinance vote occurred. Staff were asked to reach out to the Chamber and restaurant inspectors, copy council members on communications, and return a draft ordinance for the council to consider at first reading.
