A new Brookline policy aimed at reducing single-use waste will prohibit restaurants from providing utensils, napkins, straws, condiment packets and other disposable items for takeout and delivery orders unless customers request them.
Local advocates, public health officials and some restaurant owners expect the change to reduce waste and costs.
The provision, called “Skip the Stuff,” was approved last year as part of a broader update to the town’s Sustainable Food Containers and Packaging bylaw. While the amendments, including stricter regulations on black plastic and plastic bag bans, are already in effect, “Skip the Stuff” will become enforceable next summer to give restaurants time to prepare for the change.
Beginning in July 2027, the Brookline Department of Health will be authorized to issue penalties to food and retail establishments that do not comply with the policy, including fines of up to $50 for the first violation after a warning and up to $100 for subsequent offenses.
The amendments to the bylaw originated with the Zero Waste Team of Brookline Mothers Out Front, a local chapter of a national climate advocacy organization. Members of the group began pushing for changes to Brookline’s food packaging policies after hearing concerns from the community about single-use plastic waste.
“We were hearing anecdotally, ‘Why is it I go to this particular store and I get a plastic bag at the checkout? Or I see people getting those? Shouldn’t they be using paper bags or telling people to bring their own reusable bag?’” said Brenda Hochberg, a co-coordinator of Brookline Mothers Out Front and author of the Town Meeting articles that led to the bylaw amendments.
In the process of working with the Brookline Department of Public Works, the Health Department and regional sustainability experts, Hochberg and the Zero Waste Team learned about “Skip the Stuff” policies in neighboring communities like Newton, Needham and Wellesley, which prompted the addition of the policy to the amendments.
It addresses what Brookline Mothers Out Front members view as a simple source of unnecessary waste.
“Most people take that stuff out of their bag and throw it right in the garbage,” said Tracie Burns, a co-leader of the Zero Waste Team of Brookline Mothers Out Front.
Alexandra Vecchio, Brookline’s director of sustainability and natural resources, said waste incineration contributes to the town’s greenhouse gas emissions, the primary driver of climate change.
“We’re looking to reduce that number, which starts with reducing the amount of waste that we have to begin with,” she said.
Along with the environmental impact, the policy will benefit customers by removing an “inconvenience of extra things” that many individuals already have at their homes or destinations, Hochberg said.
The provision would formalize practices already in place at some Brookline restaurants. Since using an opt-in feature for utensils and napkins for online ordering, Cutty’s , a sandwich shop in Brookline Village, has reported that 76% of customers do not opt in. The change has saved the restaurant thousands of dollars.
“We go through way fewer napkins, utensils, everything,” Cutty’s co-owner Rachel Kelsey said. “It’s definitely a money saver for us, and also a bonus for the environment.”
Other restaurant owners said they include most disposable items in takeout orders by request only, and find mandating “Skip the Stuff” practices a welcome change.
“Waste is a real thing and I think that we need to really think about how we’re consuming and what it’s doing to our planet,” said Colleen Marnell-Suhanosky, the owner of Rifrullo Cafe . “I think if we get more strict about it and there’s rules and regulations and fines, that will help.”
Anthony Nagle, a co-owner of Livite , said he supports the policy, but questioned how the requirement would be implemented and enforced.
Nagle also pointed out that customers at restaurants like Livite, which serves smoothies, salads and wraps, may want to opt out of some disposable items while still requesting others, such as straws. He wondered how the policy would account for situations like that.
Despite those uncertainties, Nagle said he supports any push toward more sustainable business practices. “It’s all about moving in the right direction,” he said.
Nicole Marvez, a regional public health specialist with the Metro Public Health Collaborative who advised Brookline Mothers Out Front during the drafting of the amendments, said Newton’s “Skip the Stuff” policy has been successful and is hopeful Brookline could see similar results.
“Restaurants are able to lower costs, and consumers are more intentional about the waste that they produce, so it’s a win-win,” Marvez said.