This bill directs New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to hire a consultant to conduct a statewide assessment of recycling, composting, and reuse conditions for packaging products. It establishes a "Statewide Recycling Needs Assessment Advisory Council" within the DEP and appropriates $500,000 for the assessment. The study will evaluate current packaging recycling rates, collection systems (including curbside and drop-off), waste disposal data, and infrastructure gaps across covered entities like schools, government facilities, and residential buildings. The findings will help identify needs and gaps in the state's packaging recycling system.
This bill allows grocery stores, restaurants, and other retail sellers to voluntarily donate expired food or food waste (like items past their sell-by date or spoiled leftovers) to farmers for use as animal feed. Farmers must sign a liability waiver acknowledging the risks of using expired food and releasing the business from legal responsibility. The bill also directs the Farm Liaison to help coordinate donations between retailers and farmers by developing networks and sharing information about available food. It directly affects retail businesses and farmers by creating a legal pathway for food waste donation while limiting business liability. The law takes effect immediately upon passage.
This bill requires scrap processing facilities that handle automotive shredder residue (ASR) - the non-recyclable material left after shredding cars and metal scrap - to obtain a permit from New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). It explicitly defines ASR as "hazardous waste," meaning facilities must follow DEP-set limits on storage volume, height, and duration, and cannot store ASR near homes or critical infrastructure. The law amends existing waste management statutes to include these requirements and mandates the DEP to create rules for implementation. It directly affects scrap processing facilities statewide that currently handle ASR without permitting.
This bill exempts the sales tax on specific energy-saving products and services when purchased by consumers or businesses. It covers items like LED light bulbs, insulation, window weather stripping, tankless water heaters, and furnace filters, which are defined as products or services primarily designed to reduce energy use in homes and buildings. The tax exemption applies to retail sales made after the bill takes effect, removing the sales tax burden on these items. This change directly benefits homeowners and businesses looking to install or buy energy-efficient upgrades.
This bill sets statewide targets to reduce organic waste sent to landfills: a 50% reduction from 2016 levels by 2027 and a 75% reduction by 2032. It requires the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to create regulations within 18 months to achieve these goals, which may mandate local governments to set waste-reduction rules for businesses and impose reasonable penalties for noncompliance. The regulations must also ensure at least 20% of recoverable edible food is redirected from disposal by 2035. Local governments may charge fees to cover costs of implementing these rules, and the DEP must report progress by July 2027.
S 2359, the "Mattress Stewardship Act," requires mattress producers (including manufacturers and importers) to join a nonprofit stewardship organization within one year of the law's effective date. These organizations must create a program to manage discarded mattresses through environmentally sound methods like recycling, renovation, or proper disposal, covering all mattresses sold in New Jersey regardless of brand. Retailers and renovators selling mattresses must also register with the stewardship organization. The program will be funded by a small fee added to mattress purchases ("stewardship assessment"), ensuring costs for collection and disposal are covered without direct consumer fees.
This bill, the "Architectural Paint Stewardship Act," requires paint producers (manufacturers selling interior or exterior paint in 5-gallon containers or smaller) to create or join a statewide program for managing leftover paint after consumer use. The program must establish convenient collection sites (ensuring 90% of residents have access within 15 miles), prioritize reuse and recycling over disposal, and cover costs for collection, transportation, and processing. It shifts responsibility for paint waste management from local governments and taxpayers to paint producers, aiming to reduce disposal costs and environmental impact. The law applies specifically to architectural paint, excluding industrial or specialty coatings.
S 614, the "Packaging Product Stewardship Act," requires manufacturers and sellers of packaging products sold in New Jersey to create and implement plans for managing packaging waste. These plans must cover the full lifecycle of discarded packaging - ensuring collection, reuse, recycling, and proper disposal through environmentally sound methods, while reducing waste and increasing recycled content in packaging. Producers must submit these plans to the Environmental Protection Department within 180 days of the law taking effect, prioritizing existing recycling infrastructure and consumer convenience. The bill is currently pending review by the Senate Environment and Energy Committee after its January 2026 introduction.
This bill requires electric power suppliers to offer net metering to authorized food waste recycling facilities for electricity they generate using Class I renewable energy. It directly affects facilities defined as Class C recycling centers authorized to handle food waste under state law. Key provisions include crediting facilities for excess electricity generated (with annual rollover), and offering two compensation options: payment for remaining credits or real-time billing at a set rate ($0.03/kWh above residential tariff). The bill clarifies these facilities won't be considered public utilities when selling excess power to end-use customers within their service area.
This bill creates a New Jersey grant program for public and private K-12 schools to collect plastic waste, donate it to approved recyclers, and receive funding proportional to their plastic collection to purchase new school furniture made from those materials. Schools must document plastic collection activities from the previous school year and donate the plastics to authorized upcyclers, who reprocess them into items like desks or chairs. The Environmental Protection Department would administer the program, distributing annual grants based on each school’s share of collected plastics relative to all participating schools. Schools use these funds exclusively to buy furniture produced through the upcycling process, with grants adjusted annually based on plastic collection data.
