Green Needham has been working with the Town and its retailers and restaurants on the issue of single-use plastic waste since 2017. Good progress has been made over the past few years to reduce single-use plastics throughout our town. At the May Town Meeting in 2023, Town Meeting members voted to phase out single-use plastic shopping bags at all stores by July 1, 2024. Then, at Town Meeting in 2024, members voted to phase out the following items by January 1, 2025: polystyrene (Styrofoam) take-out containers, plastic coffee stirrers, and plastic beverage splash sticks. In addition, Town Meeting voted to limit the use of plastic straws in retail establishments. As of January 1, 2025, straws are available to customers only upon request.
To continue the effort to reduce single-use plastic waste in our town, Green Needham asked Needham’s Select Board to support two new initiatives: 1) Skip the Stuff, and 2) the phase out of black plastic take-out containers.
Skip the Stuff
Skip the Stuff is a national campaign that seeks to curtail waste related to take-out and delivery meals. It recommends that restaurants end the practice of automatically providing plastic utensils, straws, condiments, and napkins to customers for meals eaten off premises. Similar to Needham’s plastic straw rule described above, customers can still request the items as needed, either through the online ordering process or in person at the restaurant. Skip the Stuff is viewed as a win for the environment and for businesses. Restaurants realize a cost savings when they reduce the number of items distributed to consumers. California and Washington State have enacted state-wide legislation, and several cities, including Denver, Washington, D.C. and New York City, have also passed Skip the Stuff ordinances. Locally, Newton, MA and Portsmouth, NH have joined the campaign as well.
Black Plastic Take-out Containers
Green Needham is proposing that Town Meeting members phase out containers made with black plastic. Black plastic is a problematic material for several reasons. Often made from recycled electronic waste, black plastic can contain unregulated amounts of toxic chemicals, including heavy metals and flame retardants. Flame retardants can migrate into food when heated, raising concerns about exposure to endocrine disruptors and carcinogens. Continued exposure to these chemicals can have serious health consequences.
In addition, black plastic is not recyclable because it is not detected by the optical light sensors at recycling facilities. Black absorbs the infrared light, making it impossible for recycling facility sorting machines to detect and properly separate it from other plastics. Therefore, it is sent to landfills, or the case of Needham, shipped to the Wheelabrator incinerator in Millbury, MA. Incinerating plastic releases harmful chemicals into the air and leaves behind toxic ash and microplastics. Phasing out black plastic aligns with Town Meeting’s decision to stop the use of polystyrene containers. In both cases, there are more sustainable alternatives.
Public Hearing Tuesday
The Select Board is holding a public hearing on the two proposed items and is considering whether to support them at Town Meeting in May 2025. The hearing takes place on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at 6:00 PM in the Select Board Chambers at Needham Town Hall. To participate by Zoom, you can find the Zoom link on the Select Board agenda when it is posted to this page on the Town’s Website. Please join us to voice your support for these important initiatives. You may also send written comments in advance of the meeting to the Select Board by email at selectboard@needhamma.gov or by postal mail: Select Board, Needham Town Hall, 1471 Highland Avenue, Needham MA 02492.
Reduce and Reuse
It is important to stress that in addition to phasing out single-use items, we encourage shoppers to reduce and reuse. For instance, we ask that you consider bringing reusable bags to both larger and smaller stores. It will reduce the environmental impact of paper bags and reduce costs for the retailer.
Special Movie Screening
Finally, we are excited to announce that Green Needham, in conjunction with Sustainable Wellesley, and in partnership with Needham High School’s Environmental Action Club, has organized an event to present a free screening of Plastic People-The Hidden Crisis of Microplastics. This award-winning documentary discusses the threat of microplastics on human health. Following the movie, we will lead an informal discussion. It will be held on Thursday, March 27th at 7:00pm at the Newman Elementary School. Admission is free, but please register here.
If you would like to get involved with Green Needham and the effort to reduce single-use plastic waste, please contact us.
