In an effort to address the plastic pollution crisis affecting human health and the environment, Surfrider Foundation is supporting “Skip the Stuff” bills all over the Mid-Atlantic region.
Along with dozens of municipal Skip the Stuff ordinances in New Jersey, and a nascent effort in Annapolis, Surfrider’s nine Mid-Atlantic volunteer led chapters are pushing for the passage of state level bills in New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland.
Skip the Stuff bills seek to flip the norm and change the expectations of restaurant takeout and delivery food customers. Instead of expecting to receive extra items like utensils and condiments, under Skip the Stuff, customers will expect to not receive those items unless they specifically request them.
In addition to protecting our ocean against plastic pollution, these bills save restaurants money. Nationally, restaurants spend about $20 billion per year on such disposable items.
Surfrider’s Mid-Atlantic chapters host a lot of beach cleanups, and the single-use items addressed in Skip the Stuff bills are always some of the most commonly found.
Reducing plastic waste is an environmental justice issue. Nearly 80% of waste incinerators are located in low-income communities and/or communities of color, and the pollutants produced by incinerating plastic have toxic effects when inhaled.
Plastic litter exacerbates the plastic pollution human health crisis; plastic particles have been found in drinking water, food, human bodies, and in practically every inch of the globe. Plastic is a petroleum-based product that degrades very slowly in the natural environment, contains toxins, and contributes to the climate crisis.
Skip the Stuff also honors customer choice. Nearly all – 98% – of online restaurant takeout and delivery orders are eaten at home or in an office, where reusable utensils are available and preferred. Most people have a drawer crammed with plastic utensils, chopsticks, and ketchup and mustard packets, which are often included with a meal, even when specifically requested not to be.
Join Surfrider today and support our efforts to protect health, communities, and the environment from plastic pollution! See these state specific campaigns below:
Maryland Skip the Stuff (Campaign Coming Soon!)