Rockland County Should Join Westchester County, Ulster County and Dutchess Counties And Adopt A Strong “By-Request-Only” Law On Food Containers, Plastic Utensils & Condiment Pouches
We’re all familiar with this restaurant take-out ritual: we place the take-out bag on the counter and peer inside. On top of our food containers, lies bundled plastic utensil packages and condiment pouches we don’t need. We toss this “stuff” nobody asked for straight in the garbage. Or we store it in an overflowing drawer. We sigh a little, retrieve our reusable silverware, and then eat. Let’s end this wasteful practice.
It’s time for Rockland County to join the state of New Jersey, New York City, Westchester County, Ulster County and Dutchess Counties in adopting a strong “Skip the Stuff” law, also known as the “By-request-only” law. Currently, takeout accessories are opt-in at most Rockland restaurants, meaning that they’re included by default and a customer must remember to decline items. “Skip the Stuff” asks restaurants to only give out takeout accessories when customers request them.
Single-use items are often plastic and are not recyclable (less than 6% of all plastics are recycled). They will be burned, buried or littered. “Skip the Stuff” is a national campaign initiated by Upstream Solutions in response to the now 561 billion disposable food service items handed out every year in the U.S., resulting in 4.9 million tons of waste. By switching from an opt-in to an opt-out model for disposable accessories, we reduce waste and save restaurants and taxpayers money (less litter and clogged storm drains). Nearly all, 98% of online restaurant orders, are eaten at home or the office, where reusable utensils are available and preferred.
A local “Skip the Stuff” law offers practical advantages to local businesses in that restaurants can reduce their expenses. Restaurants nationally spend roughly $20 billion a year on single-use items. A Red Bank, New Jersey study found a “Skip the Stuff” ordinance cut “stuff” going out the door of local eateries by 75%.
Until the Rockland County Legislature passes a common-sense “Skip the Stuff” law, individuals can proactively decline single-use food accessories they don’t need. Look for “Skip the Stuff” signs in the windows of local restaurants and thank them for voluntarily taking action to reduce plastic pollution. I urge the community to join us in advocating for this simple, effective solution to that stuffed drawer.
Laura Graves
Co-chair, Beyond Plastics Rockland
