East Hampton Village to ban plastic foam food containers

The sale or use of plastic foam food containers will no longer be allowed at East Hampton Village businesses.

The village board of trustees in a 5-0 decision on Friday adopted a new law that makes it illegal for businesses to use or sell single-serve plastic foam items, including food containers, cups, trays and coolers.

Stores that sell raw meat packaging or prepackaged food items will be exempt, East Hampton officials said.

“A ban like this 15 years ago would have been controversial, but there are a lot of new options for restaurants and food service companies,” East Hampton Village Administrator Becky Hansen said Monday.

Plastic foam food containers can be a recyclable product but the board decided on the ban because it’s not as easy to recycle, Hansen said.

The new law is expected to go into effect by Aug. 1.

Village officials must first file the legislation with the New York State Department of State.

There were no comments from the public at a hearing about the ban, but board members did receive two letters in opposition of the law.

One was from the American Chemistry Council and the other was from Michigan-based Dart Container Corp., a food service container producer.

Board members had been mulling the ban for months, but their efforts intensified earlier this year after Patchogue village adopted a similar ban.

East Hampton contacted Patchogue for a copy of its legislation.

“The Village of Patchogue is pleased that East Hampton has taken this step, and we’re encouraging all neighboring villages to follow suit,” said Patchogue Trustee Joseph Keyes, who spearheaded the plastic foam container ban in his village.

Dozens of municipalities nationwide, including New York City, have adopted such bans.

Some commercial operations have stopped using plastic foam containers.

Dunkin’ Donuts plans to do away with plastic foam cups in its shops worldwide.

The Restaurant Action Alliance of New York has argued that the materials are recyclable and that more costly alternatives unfairly hurt small businesses.