Last updated on August 8th, 2023 at 03:34 pm
If you live in NYC, the takeout capital of the world, chances are you have many forks, spoons and condiment packets stashed away in your drawers. That’s about to change. On July 31st, the city officially implemented “Skip the Stuff” law, aiming to reduce the amount of plastic waste polluting our environment.
The Breakdown:
Intro 559-A, is known as the “Skip the Stuff” Bill:
The new rule prohibits food service establishments and online ordering platforms from automatically including the following single-use plastics in delivery and take-out orders unless explicitly requested by customers.
-
- plastic utensils,
- condiment packets,
- napkins, and
- extra eating containers
The bill aims reduce the extraordinary amount of plastic in our waste system while:
- cutting costs for food service establishments, enabling them to save money;
- lowering our carbon footprint;
- benefitting our planet;
The new rule takes effect on July 31st, 2023:
- A grace period for compliance will last until June 30, 2024,
- Fines will be enforced for any violations thereafter.
Takeaways & Tips
- Do not provide utensils, napkins or condiments, unless the customer specifically asks,
- Make sure customers have a way to request these items when ordering.
- Educate staff about the new rule.
- Put up reminders wherever food is packaged for take-out or delivery.
- Input it in your POS system if you can.
