The town of Westport recently hosted an online meeting to discuss its Single Use Plastic Ordinance.
Voted into law by the Westport Representative Town Meeting in 2019, the ordinance was temporarily suspended as a result of the Covid pandemic which began in 2020. With many of the health measures put into effect to combat the disease, the temporary reversal of the ban has also expired, going into effect once again on January 1, 2024.
“This basically prohibits food service businesses from selling or providing food for consumption on or off the premises in or with single use plastic and or styrofoam food service products,” said Michele Berglund, an administrative assistant for the Westport Conservation Department during a presentation on the ordinance. “This includes cups, plates, bowls, clamshells, containers, trays, straws, stirrers. Utensils should be distributed upon request only. The long-term goals are to prioritize reusable products and minimize our reliance on single use plastics.”
Berglund explained that the ordinance was designed to encourage eco-friendly practices which would eventually yield cost savings for businesses and prevent environmental damage which could incur costs for taxpayers. The ordinance was also expected to work hand-in-hand with the “Stop The Stuff Campaign,” which encourages restaurants to avoid providing even bio-degradable single use items such as napkins, chopsticks, condiment containers, lids, and cup sleeves unless specifically requested by the customer.
The audience of Westport business owners, had questions. A grocery store owner asked if her business would be impacted, and Director of Conservation Colin Kelly explained that food which is received from a supplier already wrapped is still permitted under the ordinance.
“If you’re bringing it in and it’s already wrapped, then it meets the definition,” explained Kelly, “but once you take any food and put it into the container than you have to meet the conditions of the ordinance.”
Matt Storch, the Chef and owner of both the Match restaurant in Norwalk and Westport’s Match Burger Lobster asked about how to tell if a plastic product qualifies as single use.
“A perfect example is pint, quart and cup containers, which everybody knows are reusable, but it does not say that on it. Is that going to be an issue? Because we have a large issue of getting hot products to people without it melting. When it comes to hot butter or boiling liquid under steamed clams or something like that, I can’t use something if it can’t take the heat.”
Storch also noted that his Westport location uses biodegradable cups, but that ones with prominent logos and identification often cost more. “We do our best to help the environment, but it doesn’t say it on the actual piece of serviceware.”
Kelly replied that in such a situation compliance can be checked directly. “If we can verify through your invoice or order through your supplier that it meets the intent of the ordinance then that’ll be sufficient for us.”
Kelly noted that his department was working to provide lists of compliant products, and encouraged the sharing of information between Westport businesses about what options and products work best to avoid everybody going through the same process of trial and error.
In further discussion, Tom Kiely, Westport’s Operations Director floated the possibility of making signs or stickers for distribution to Westport businesses to help inform the public about the ordinance.
“This is mainly an awareness campaign and we have got to start changing the mindset,” Kiely said. “As opposed to having all this stuff put in the bag by default it’s going to be the opposite and you’ll have to ask for it. But we’d love to hear from anyone who actually owns a food establishment.”
Kiely encouraged business owners to reach out to him and discuss whether they would prefer a window decal, a placard, or other signage that will help explain the Stop the Stuff Campaign to help uphold the ordinance.
“We do expect some push back from the people, your customers,” Kelly said, “if they have any questions or annoyances send them our way, because we are the body that has to enforce this.”
“If you have somebody screaming at you, have them scream at me and my department and we’ll manage it. Throw me and our office under the bus, we can take it. I don’t want it to become an interaction that sours your relationship with your clients.”
