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When New Yorkers pick up takeout, they expect dinner — not a dose of PFAS and microplastics. Yet that’s the reality when hot food sits in disposable clamshells, waxy soup cups or plastic deli tubs. Single-use packaging is not just wasteful; it’s a health hazard.

The state Legislature has a chance to do something about it: The Bring Your Own Rights bill (S7408 /A8007) aims to expand the right of customers to use their own clean containers for food. But as written, the bill has a critical flaw: It mostly repeats what’s already legal, like bringing your own coffee cup. It leaves out the most meaningful change — the right to bring your own container for restaurant takeout and grocery delis.

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That gap matters. New York’s outdated food code still blocks grocery delis and salad bars from filling a customer’s container. Restaurants rightly worry about liability, which is why........

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