Most Single-Use Plastics To Get The Boot From NYC Government

NEW YORK — City Hall is saying goodbye to plastic forks. New York City's government is expected to stop buying almost all single-use plastic products by the end of this year under an executive order Mayor Bill de Blasio signed Thursday.

The move will cut city agencies' plastic purchases by an estimated 95 percent, though the city will keep a stock of plasticware for emergencies and for people who need them, the mayor's office said.

"Big Oil has been pushing single use plastics for too long — and it stops here," de Blasio, a Democrat, said in a statement. "They litter our beaches and parks, jam our recycling machines, and contribute to climate change. Our actions today will help us build a fairer city for all New Yorkers."

The city buys at least 1.1 million pounds of single-use plastic foodware annually, including cutlery, plates, plastic straws and other items, City Hall says. The city regards the disposables as a scourge on the environment because they end up as litter and plastics are predominantly derived from fossil fuels.

The mayor's order will end just about all new contracts for such plasticware in favor of reyclable or compostable options, City Hall says. Affected city agencies have about four months to come up with a plan to draw down their single-use plastics, according to the mayor's office, with full implementation expected by the end of the year.

The directive allows the city to keep an adequate supply of plastic items so people with disabilities can continue to ask for them, according to the mayor's office. A stock will also be kept for emergency, medical and other uses, the city says.

The move will help the city's environment by reducing plastic pollution and risks to wildlife and by cutting the city's carbon emissions by about 500 tons a year, according to City Hall.

The mayor said he also supports a bill in the City Council that aims to restrict the use of single-use plastic items in private businesses.

"We need to leave theses harmful plastics behind, and reducing the City’s use of plastic foodware is a huge step in that direction," Mark Chambers, the director of the Mayor's Office of Sustainability, said in a statement.

De Blasio's order is just the latest salvo in New York's war on waste. A municipal ban on single-use styrofoam products went into effect at the beginning of this year. And state lawmakers last week approved a ban on most single-use plastic bags across the Empire State.

Some City Council members have also gotten behind legislation to ban restaurants from offering plastic straws unless a disabled patron needs one.