Request-Only Plastic Utensil Law Effective on Saturday in Westchester
A new law to limit the use of plastic utensils and other items associated with food establishments will go into effect this weekend in Westchester to reduce the county’s volume of waste.
Starting this Saturday, all food service establishments can only provide plastic forks, spoons and knives, cup sleeves and beverage lids upon the customer’s request. When those items are provided, they must be dispensed individually rather than in packets, which lawmakers believe will discourage the public from taking them unnecessarily, thereby limiting the amount of trash generated.
Furthermore, plastic stirrers and splash sticks for beverages will no longer be available in food service businesses, but consumers will still be available to buy them at retail shops.
County Legislator Erika Pierce (D-Katonah), who introduced the bill with Board of Legislators Vice Chair Nancy Barr (D-Rye Brook) that was approved earlier this year, said the volume of plastic utensils and other items exploded during the height of the pandemic when the public was ordering take-out to help their favorite restaurants survive.