York has become the first town in Maine to ban single-use plastic utensils after more than 58 percent of residents voted in favor of a proposal originally advanced by the York High School Eco Club.
The regulations approved by voters Saturday are set to take effect in May of 2025.
Under this ordinance, plastic straws, stir sticks, and utensils are prohibited from being offered or distributed by stores, restaurants, coffee shops, cafeterias, caterers, food delivery services, or at Town sponsored events.
This newly-approved ordinance requires that reusable products be offered when dishwashing facilities are accessible.
When “reusables” are unavailable or impractical — such as for takeout orders — “third party certified compostable foodware” may be provided.
Health care facilities are exempt from these requirements, but according to the language of the ordinance, they are “encouraged to comply.”
Violations of these regulations can result in fines ranging from $100 to $500 depending upon whether it is a first, second, or subsequent offense.
Separate fines may be imposed for each day that a violation is deemed to have occurred.
Any notice of violation may be appealed to the Board of Appeals within thirty days of action being taken.
2,192 residents voted Saturday in support of the new ordinance, while 1,556 voted in opposition.
Click Here to Read the Full Text of the New Ordinance
The original version of this proposal drafted by the students of York High School’s Eco Club would have also banned businesses from selling or offering single-use plastic cups.
The ordinance was amended, however, after local business owners raised concerns about the cost associated with offering suitable alternatives and the consequences of incentivizing customers to bring their own reusable cups.
This is not the first time that York has been at the forefront of an effort to make environmentally-minded changes to municipal-level public policy.
In 2015, York became the first town in Maine to ban plastic grocery bags and went on to prohibit the use of polystyrene foam food containers in 2019.
Portland has also spearheaded the passage of climate-related policies, becoming the first locality in the state to ban plastic drinking straws and stir sticks after enacting an ordinance that took effect in 2021.
Earlier this year, the Environmental and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee in Augusta rejected a proposal to ban the purchase and sale of single-use plastic water bottles by state and municipal governments at the request of its sponsor.
LD 1418 — An Act Concerning Single-use Disposable Water Bottles and Water Refill Stations — was introduced by Rep. Lori K. Gramlich (D-Old Orchard Beach) during the Legislature’s first session and carried over into 2024 for further consideration.
Rep. Gramlich, however, asked the ENR Committee in March to vote against the bill, as she felt that there would not be enough time to adequately develop the legislation before adjournment.
The planet has been saved!
😂
York, another town that’s been invaded by out of state leftists escaping bad policies voting for the same bad policies they moved away from.
Liberals….not the sharpest tools in the shed.
What happened? Sit down restaurants getting too expensive, If we could only figure a way to raise the cost on food trucks to be competitive…
I feel so much more confident in the future of our environment now that those plastic stir sticks have been outlawed . What can we do next about all those tires and mattresses we keep seeing thrown out on the road sides ?
Maybe those yards full of derelict cars leaking nasty stuff onto the ground are just official Maine yard art ?
Let’s concentrate on the important …,,,,Plastic straws , forks and stir sticks …..THANK YOU York HS students ….you have saved the earth !
Now graduate and go find a job !
Maine is being overrun by illegal immigrants; Maine schools are failing miserably to adequately educate our children; Maine lawmakers are failing to protect our children’s right to an innocent childhood, and threatening parental rights; Maine is failing to provide adequate housing to financially strained Maine families and its homeless population. Yet, York in all its woke, elitist wisdom, has determined that reducing the use of plastic utensils is of utmost importance to Maine’s survival!?! I can’t decide if this is complete and utter denial, or insanity. Whatever readers choose to call it, there is no doubt that it is extremely stupid!
…ever notice how everything Democrats touch turns to shytt!? Me too!
Yeah York, eat with your hands like savages do!
Do these planet savers all drive evs too? What a bunch of foolishness.
Liberal lunacy has no boundaries . They will ban the toilet paper next.
This should be a big boost to tourism, the main income for York. Can the people of the state of Maine get any dumber?