New city ordinance prohibits restaurants from routinely dispensing plasticware, condiments

Javon L. Harris, The Gainesville Sun
·3 min read
FILE - A trash can overflows as people sit outside of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial by the Tidal Basin, Dec. 27, 2018, in Washington, during a partial government shutdown. The Interior Department said Wednesday, June 8, 2022, it will phase out single-use plastic products on national parks and other public lands over the next decade, targeting a leading source of U.S. plastic waste such as food and beverage containers, straws and bags.(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

A new ordinance designed to protect the environment by limiting solid waste will soon go into effect.

Beginning Friday, customers at fast food restaurants, bars and other local eateries will have to specifically request plastic cutlery and condiments, as the first of three city of Gainesville zero waste ordinances take effect.

“Many times when I’m getting food to go, there’s tons of left-over plastic in there that I didn’t need or want,” said Gainesville City Commissioner Adrian Hayes-Santos, who chairs the zero waste subcommittee that drafted the new ordinances. “Putting all that extra cutlery with condiments does have a real cost, and they add up when you’re giving those out with every transaction. I think businesses will actually save money while helping the environment.”

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City Commissioner Adrian Hayes-Santos voices his concern that there was a conflict of interest in the recent audit of Reichert House because it was performed by City Auditor Carlos Holt during the city council meeting on April 18, 2019.[Lauren Bacho/Gainesville Sun]
City Commissioner Adrian Hayes-Santos voices his concern that there was a conflict of interest in the recent audit of Reichert House because it was performed by City Auditor Carlos Holt during the city council meeting on April 18, 2019.[Lauren Bacho/Gainesville Sun]

The new rules follow the city’s commitment to protecting the environment with the goal of eliminating solid waste citywide by 2040.

Businesses were notified in July of the coming changes.

Several establishments said the new law will have little impact on their business as they began reducing their use of plasticware a long time ago.

“I have done everything I can to eliminate plastic from my business,” said Mike Manfredi, owner of Sweet Dreams Homemade Ice Cream of Gainesville. “So, everybody who comes to my ice cream shop, if they eat in, not only do they get a steel or glass bowl, they get a steel spoon. And last year, I went to wooden-paddle spoons to go.”

Mike Manfredi, the owner of Sweet Dreams Homemade Ice Cream, has been in business in Gainesville for 17 years. He sits in one of the booths at the store, which has not officially opened regular hours because of the after-effects of COVID-19 on the economy, on May 4, 2021.
Mike Manfredi, the owner of Sweet Dreams Homemade Ice Cream, has been in business in Gainesville for 17 years. He sits in one of the booths at the store, which has not officially opened regular hours because of the after-effects of COVID-19 on the economy, on May 4, 2021.

Amber Robinson, the owner of Nothing Bundt Cakes, likewise said that her brand has been moving toward environmentally friendly items.

“We actually don’t give out plasticware in our bakery, but we do have it for purchase in our serving package, which includes a cake knife and several forks,” she said. “With the new ordinance I have spoken to the brand about switching over to wooden cutlery, but because we are a franchise, we have to get approval from the brand.”

There are, however, unintended consequences that some owners fear, such as customers who don’t know about the ordinance in order to ask for plasticware. Some owners worry the changes could result in patrons leaving negative online reviews for missing plastic spoons, forks or ketchup packages.

Hayes-Santos said he believes ultimately locals will learn about the law and its benefits and not take it out on establishments.

Additional provisions that go into effect Friday include requiring recycling bins to collect bottles and cans and that those bins be placed next to garbage containers.

Residents will also be prohibited from releasing plastic balloons into the air, in accordance with Florida law, as a means of protecting wildlife and marine animals.

“Every helium balloon that’s released into the atmosphere returns to earth as litter, and none are recyclable. They break down into microplastics and create a hazard for our aquatic and land animals when ingested,” said Mike Heimbach, the city's sustainability manager, in a news release.

Javon L. Harris is a local government and social justice reporter for The Gainesville Sun. He can be reached by phone at (352) 338-3103, by email at jlharris@gannett.com or on Twitter @JavonLHarris_JD.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: New Gainesville law limits restaurants from dispensing plasticware