Surfrider Foundation is thrilled that the Village of East Hampton passed a law that mandates restaurants to provide straws by request only. Effective October 21st under this law, establishments within East Hampton Village are "prohibited from the distribution of single use plastic straws unless specifically requested." (EH Village Local Law No. Thirteen-2018)
This law was quickly pushed along due to the negative impacts of single-use plastics on the environment and marine life, and even acknowledges the adverse affects of bioplastics which do not readily break down in the marine environment.
By providing straws only upon request, restaurants can reduce consumption by 40%, which equates to positive savings for restaurants, and fewer single-use plastics going into the waste stream. This truly is a win-win.
East Hampton Town is not the first to put this law into place. The State of California just passed Assembly Bill 1884 that prohibits restaurants from providing single-use plastic straws unless requested by the customer.
Surfrider Eastern Long Island is glad to see our elected officials taking steps in the right direction to take the health of our ocean, waves and beaches into our own hands. We hope that other local towns and villages follow suit by considering legislation that tactically restricts and reduces plastic usage across Eastern Long Island.
