New Delhi, Aug. 4 -- TRENTON, N.J. - The chopsticks were there, and then, on August 1, they were not.

New Jersey became one of the first states in the nation last week to strip single-use plastic utensils, paper napkins, and individual condiment packets from the default takeout order. The law, known as "Skip the Stuff," requires that restaurants, food trucks, and third-party delivery platforms across the state omit these items automatically, providing them only when a customer actively requests them. What once arrived unbidden in every delivery bag now requires an ask.

The change affects every food service establishment in New Jersey, regardless of size, a deliberate expansion beyond California's similar law, which applies only to chain...