By the Bronxville Green Committee

May 15, 2024: During the month of May, the Village of Bronxville, Bronxville Chamber of Commerce, and Bronxville Green Committee will be promoting a new law in Westchester County called the “Upon Request” law. 

This law, which went into effect last September, states that no food service establishment will provide single-use plastic utensils or condiment packets to any dine-in or take-away customer unless these items are specifically requested. To receive them, you must ask for forks, knives, spoons, chopsticks, cup sleeves, beverage lids and condiment packets or cups.  

The law is intended to eliminate unneeded and unwanted items from your order to reduce single-use plastic waste in Westchester County. This common-sense, mindful approach allows customers to request and receive the items they need to consume their meal without getting items they don’t need.

Check out the county’s informational video. Highlights include:

-Each year in the U.S., an estimated 40 billion plastic utensils end up in the waste stream. The goal of the law is to reduce single-use plastic waste.

-Food service establishments may not provide single-use utensils or condiments unless the customer requests them.

-Includes orders made in person, on the phone, online or through a delivery app.

-Businesses may not provide bundled single-use items by default.

-Plastic beverage stirrers or splash sticks are no longer permitted.

-Informational signage must be posted in all food establishments.

-Reducing waste can help lower business and consumer costs.

 “We encourage all merchants and residents to support his common-sense law, which will reduce Bronxville’s plastic waste while saving merchants money,” said Mayor Mary Marvin.

“The Bronxville Chamber of Commerce supports initiatives to make our community and environment sustainable and healthy,” said Leslie Corcoran, Executive Director of the Bronxville Chamber of Commerce. “Supporting the growth of our local restaurant members and working together to find solutions that promote sustainability are priorities of our Chamber.”  

You can help make this effort successful!

-Help comply with the Upon Request law by reminding businesses to leave out utensils and condiments when not needed.

-Inform businesses about the law if you notice they are repeatedly including utensils and condiments when not requested.

-If you get take-out to eat on the go, consider carrying your own set of stainless-steel utensils.

-If you often get drinks to go, consider carrying your own reusable mug and ask your preferred merchant to fill it up instead of using a disposable cup.

Ellen Edwards, Chair of the Bronxville Green Committee, added, “Let’s give each other a chance to adjust to this new law. If a business included in your order single-use items that you didn’t ask for, we hope you’ll remind them politely of the new requirement. And if you forget to request a needed item, or an item you requested is not in your order, we hope you’ll be patient. It will take time to make these changes, but soon it will become the norm.

For more information about the law, please see the Westchester County website. Please also follow us on Instagram @bxvgreencommittee and visit our website.

The Bronxville Green Committee is a volunteer organization that is part of the Village of Bronxville. We work to propose and implement environmentally sustainable programs in our community.