This bill amends current New Jersey law to provide a permanent exemption for specific polystyrene foam food service products from the prohibition on their sale and provision. The bill specifically exempts meat and fish trays for raw or butchered meat, including poultry, or fish sold from a refrigerator, as well as any food product pre-packaged by the manufacturer with a polystyrene foam food service product. These exemptions are intended to address the needs of food service businesses while maintaining the overall intent of the law to reduce the use of polystyrene foam products.

Under the existing law, which prohibits the sale and provision of polystyrene foam food service products, there was a temporary two-year exemption for certain items. This bill formalizes the exemption for the specified products, ensuring they can continue to be used without restriction. Additionally, the bill maintains the waiver process that allows for extensions of exemptions for other polystyrene foam products if no cost-effective alternatives are available. The changes aim to balance environmental concerns with practical needs in the food service industry.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 13:1E-99.129