Suffolk County introduced Skip the Stuff for Earth Day in 2024, but unfortunately, it did not pass through the Health Committee. The Eastern Long Island Chapter also presented Skip the Stuff to East Hampton Town, where it hasn’t moved yet.

The Eastern Long Island Chapter has been in discussions with Southampton Town, Southold Town, and more local villages. Stay tuned for updates!

Each Skip the Stuff policy is different. Typically, enforcement becomes the responsibility of the local municipality’s Building, Code, or Health Department while conducting inspections of restaurants. 

Many local ordinances, such as those in East Hampton Village and Sag Harbor, often give some type of grace period — both after it passes and on the first offence. This means that if a violation is discovered, the business will usually have a set period of time to fix the mistake, but if caught giving out “stuff” automatically again, then they may be fined a small fee. 

In East Hampton and Sag Harbor Villages, for example, the first fine is $50. Each subsequent offence usually incurs a higher fee.

While education and outreach on environmental issues is certainly important, it can only go so far. There is no obligation for a business to follow a Skip the Stuff practice after they are educated about it. A policy ensures that the practice will be followed and enforced, leveling the playing field for all businesses in the area.

What’s more, local ordinances have the potential to move the needle on a much larger scale. We’ve seen this happen with other plastic items, like bags, balloons, polystyrene, and straws.

When local governments start passing their own policies, they can actually influence county & state officials to do the same, all contributing towards the nationwide movement to ‘Skip the Stuff.’

It’s great that some businesses already make the conscious decision to Skip the Stuff, saving them waste and money!

While some businesses will make the effort to do this on their own, others won’t be influenced until there is a policy in place. A policy also levels the playing field with businesses—if one town or village decides that this is a standard practice, it normalizes the experience for the customer. It also makes it easier for all businesses to participate without an explanation to the customer: restaurant staff can simply state that it’s a new local policy.

Plus, if your favorite businesses already participate, then they won’t have to worry about a possible fine or changing their business practices!

While this is a well-intentioned suggestion and business practice, in reality, these products have a similar impact to plastic, often at a higher price tag.

These foodware products – what Surfrider refers to as “bioplastics” since they look, feel, and act like plastic in the environment – often involve greenwashing. Companies can market their products as biodegradable or compostable without providing a full list of ingredients or trusted certifications. Companies have also made efforts to avoid the term ‘bioplastic,’ which can have a negative connotation, and instead use terms such as ‘plant-based’ or ‘bio-based’ to describe their biopolymers. Most of these products only break down in commercial composting facilities, which are not widely available in many communities. For more information, please view Surfrider’s resources on bioplastics.

Bioplastics, like those made from corn and agave, are trading one problem for another. The benefit of a Skip the Stuff effort is that it avoids disposable waste from the source, regardless of the material. Skip the Stuff reinforces the idea that we should only take what we need, which is a true practice in sustainability.

There are plenty of ways community members can support Skip the Stuff! One way is to bring your own reusable utensils out and about, to make sure you never have to take disposable utensils!

Be sure to also opt out of “stuff” when placing take-out orders online or in-person.

If you would like to see Skip the Stuff become law in your community, please reach out to beggert@easternli.surfrider.org, to see if we can help provide resources & or support in getting Skip the Stuff passed where you live!

You can also take action on any of our active campaigns for Skip the Stuff here:

• Petition for Southold Skip the Stuff
• Southampton Town Skip the Stuff
• East Hampton Town Skip the Stuff
• Suffolk County Skip the Stuff
• New York State Skip the Stuff

In addition to passing ordinances, local governments can pass resolutions.

A resolution is a formal statement adopted by a governing body expressing its position on proposed legislation, either in support or opposition. While it is not a binding law, it does serve as an important step in advocacy and can create political momentum, as it is sent to legislators, committees, governors, or members of Congress to demonstrate local support and encourage passage of the bill. Local governments can pass their own resolutions to say they support Skip the Stuff and encourage their own local businesses to practice it, which Southampton Village & Sagaponack Village did in 2026. They can also pass resolutions that officially state their support for the statewide Skip the Stuff billl (A6949A and S3911A) led by Assemblymember Kassay and Senator Harckham. Most recently, Sag Harbor Village passed this during their June 9, 2026 Board of Trustees meeting, and we would strongly encourage other municipalities to do the same!