New Yorkers will no longer have to check the box for “no plastic utensils” on their food delivery apps. A new law that takes effect in July is going to do that for them.
(Bloomberg) — New Yorkers will no longer have to check the box for “no plastic utensils” on their food delivery apps. A new law that takes effect in July is going to do that for them.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams signed a bill Wednesday prohibiting restaurants and delivery services like GrubHub Holdings Inc. and DoorDash Inc. from including single-use plastic utensils, napkins and condiment packages in food delivery orders, unless the customer requests them. After a grace period, delivery services will be subject to fines for failing to comply.
“New Yorkers love takeout. But we’re getting overburdened with the amount of plastic utensils that come with it,” Adams said at a press conference. “This bill makes our city cleaner, more sustainable and waste-free.”
As he begins his second year in office, the Democratic mayor is prioritizing cleaning up the city, often invoking his hatred of rats. In his State of the City address last week, Adams focused on a range of quality-of-life issues including reducing litter and sidewalk-cluttering trash.
The bill, introduced by City Council Member Marjorie Velázquez in June, passed through the legislature this month with 43 votes to seven.
Nicknamed “Skip the Stuff,” the new law follows a 2019 executive order signed by former Mayor Bill DeBlasio requiring city agencies to develop a plan to eliminate the use of single-use plastic foodware.
New York legislators have passed several laws in the past three years to support a more sustainable future for the city. New York started enforcing a ban on single-use plastic bags in mid-2020 and in November 2021, a law prohibiting restaurants from providing non-compostable straws and drink stirrers came into effect.
As for reducing the drawers of plastic forks and ketchup packets that New Yorkers guiltily hoard, Adams says there’s a simple solution: “We have utensils at home.”
(Corrects headline to clarify that utensils will be available upon request)
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