Sponsored by:
Senator TROY SINGLETON
District 7 (Burlington)
Senator CHRISTOPHER "KIP" BATEMAN
District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)
SYNOPSIS
Prohibits sale of expanded polystyrene food containers by public schools and public institutions of higher education.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning expanded polystyrene food containers and supplementing Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Except as otherwise provided in subsection b. of this section, beginning one year after the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), every public school shall ensure that no food or beverage packaged or contained in an expanded polystyrene food container is sold, offered for sale, or otherwise provided in the public school.
b. Subsection a. of this section shall not apply to any food or beverage that was filled and sealed in an expanded polystyrene food container before a public school received it.
c. The State Board of Education, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Protection, may adopt, pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this section.
d. As used in this section:
“Expanded polystyrene” means blown polystyrene and expanded and extruded foams that are thermoplastic petrochemical materials utilizing a styrene monomer and processed by a number of techniques, including, but not limited to, fusion of polymer spheres (expandable bead polystyrene), injection molding, foam molding, and extrusion-blow molding (extruded foam polystyrene).
“Expanded polystyrene food container” means a container, plate, hot or cold beverage cup, tray, carton, or other product made of expanded polystyrene and used for selling or providing a food or beverage.
“Public school” means the same as that term is defined in N.J.S.18A:1-1.
2. a. Except as otherwise provided in subsection b. of this section, beginning one year after the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), every public institution of higher education shall ensure that no food or beverage packaged or contained in an expanded polystyrene food container is sold, offered for sale, or otherwise provided in the public institution of higher education .
b. Subsection a. of this section shall not apply to any food or beverage that was filled and sealed in an expanded polystyrene food container before a public institution of higher education received it.
c. The State Board of Education, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Protection, may adopt, pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this section.
d. As used in this section:
“Expanded polystyrene” means blown polystyrene and expanded and extruded foams that are thermoplastic petrochemical materials utilizing a styrene monomer and processed by a number of techniques, including, but not limited to, fusion of polymer spheres (expandable bead polystyrene), injection molding, foam molding, and extrusion-blow molding (extruded foam polystyrene).
“Expanded polystyrene food container” means a container, plate, hot or cold beverage cup, tray, carton, or other product made of expanded polystyrene and used for selling or providing a food or beverage.
“Public institution of higher education” means the same as that term is defined in N.J.S.18A:1-1.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would require every public school and public institution of higher education to ensure that no food or beverage packaged or contained in an expanded polystyrene food container is sold, offered for sale, or otherwise provided in the school or institution. An “expanded polystyrene food container” is defined in the bill as a container, plate, hot or cold beverage cup, tray, carton, or other product made of expanded polystyrene and used for selling or providing a food or beverage. The prohibition would not apply to any food or beverage that was filled and sealed in an expanded polystyrene food container before a school or public institution of higher education received it.