PRESS RELEASE                                                      
 Feb. 12, 2019
Contact: Connie Conway
(631) 702-1743                        

Southampton Town Board Approves Plastic Straw Ban and Other Polystyrene Products  

Food establishments in the Town of Southampton will soon be prohibited from offering plastic straws, stirrers and containers made of polystyrene such as “clamshells”, used for packaging.   The new law will take effect on May 8^th to give food establishment’s time to use up the plastic and Styrofoam products and begin gearing up with alternatives including sturdy cardboard, stainless steel or bamboo products.   

The new law, first proposed by Councilwoman Julie Lofstad, was recommended by the Town’s Sustainability Committee which estimates that residents and visitors to the Town of Southampton discard nearly 20 million plastic straws and 8 million polystyrene cups per year, much of which washes up along the Town’s beaches. 

“This may be a small step but it’s a very important step,” said Councilwoman Lofstad.  “Our environment is everything to us and anything we can do that’s not going to have harmful impacts on our businesses and residents is a no-brainer for me.”

The Sustainability Committee polled 85 food establishments and found 82 supported the ban, some had already stopped offering polystyrene “to go” containers. 

 Under the law, restaurants will be permitted to keep a small number of plastic straws on hand for those with physical disabilities who require plastic straws.