New Yorkers can no longer expect a plastic spoon or fork with which to consume their takeout meals: now, one must specifically ask for those utensils in order to receive them, thanks to the latest regulation passed by the city council.
Last week the city council approved a bill banning restaurants from including plastic utensils, condiment packets, napkins or extra food containers unless specifically requested by the customer.
Known as the “Skip the Stuff” bill, Intro559-A was sponsored by Bronx Democratic council member Marjorie Velázquez.
It is the latest attempt by New York to regulate the use of disposable plastic in hopes of reducing damage to the environment.
“This is a bill that will cut down on single-use plastics, which if they’re not cluttering up a drawer in your house, it takes decades or centuries to break down, polluting our waterways, killing wildlife, and even ending up in our own bodies because of microplastics,” Velázquez told reporters at a news conference ahead of the January 19 council meeting.
“This will also save our food establishments money by providing utensils at the request of consumers,” the council member added.
