East Hampton Town officially will introduce a proposal to ban polystyrene coffee cups and food containers at Thursday night’s meeting of the Town Board—with an eye to putting the law into effect on Earth Day: April 22, 2019.
The law, if adopted, would bar the use of the molded foam “clamshell” food containers and coffee cups that most people would call “Styrofoam” at all retail food establishments, including food trucks.
The law would only apply to commercial entities, however, so school districts and food pantries would not have to comply. The town’s own senior center has already pledged to end its use of polystyrene containers.
East Hampton’s legislation is modeled largely on a law adopted earlier this year by East Hampton Village—though the town law would not ban the use of plastic straws, as the village did. New York City and Patchogue have also put an end to the use of polystyrene food containers and cups, and Southampton Town has also recently started discussing a similar restriction.
Councilwoman Sylvia Overby, who has sponsored the legislation, said that the town’s business advisory committee has seen the legislation and supports its adoption.
The Town Board will hold a public hearing on the proposal on January 17. If adopted following the hearing, the town says it would give business owners a few months to use up any stockpiles of foam cups and container they have already purchased, and that the full ban would be enforced starting April 22 with the observance of Earth Day.
Michael Wright on Dec 4, 2018