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Commission reviews two recent state laws — 'Skip the Stuff' and Invasive Species Act — and considers local steps
Summary
Members reviewed New Jersey's new 'Skip the Stuff' law affecting restaurant utensils and discussed the Invasive Species Management Act, which creates a prohibited species list and a 19‑member review council; commissioners identified timing, enforcement roles and local outreach actions.
Commission members reviewed two newly adopted state laws and discussed how each will affect local programs and advocacy.
'Skip the Stuff' law: A member summarized the law’s main provisions, saying it exempts long‑lasting eco‑friendly utensils, requires full‑service restaurants to offer washable utensils, and mandates that online ordering defaults to no utensils or condiments unless the customer opts in. The member noted the law becomes effective for restaurants 12 months after adoption and that schools, jails, prisons and health‑care facilities enjoy longer or permanent exemptions. The commission agreed to continue its voluntary "Skip the Stuff" outreach during the transition year and to offer decals and outreach to local restaurants.
Invasive Species Management Act: The commission also discussed the new Invasive Species Management Act (adopted Jan. 8), which creates a list of prohibited plants (members read examples aloud), establishes a 19‑member invasive‑species council within NJDEP to review waivers, and phases in restrictions—13 months until propagation/sale restrictions begin and roughly 49 months until broader sales/distribution restrictions apply. The law assigns primary enforcement for nursery/retail sales to the Department of Agriculture and other violations to NJDEP and sets civil penalties in a specified range. Members raised technical questions about propagation methods (seeds vs. vegetative spread, e.g., bamboo) and asked staff to track implementation rules the DEP must write.
Members also discussed whether to continue local programs (decals, restaurant lists, community outreach) during the state transition and how penalties collected under 'Skip the Stuff' could be applied to local grant funds. The commission did not adopt local ordinances at the meeting but agreed to monitor DEP rulemaking and to continue outreach programs where appropriate.
Next steps: staff to monitor DEP rule development for the invasive‑species council and timeline, continue restaurant outreach for 'Skip the Stuff', and report back to the commission.
