York voters could make a single-use plastic ban permanent in November

YORK — When Lydia Vitae first learned that York would ban single-use plastic straws, utensils, and stir sticks, her family-owned restaurant Stones Throw was already ahead of the curve. The business had been composting for years and had begun transitioning to eco-friendly products, so when the ordinance took effect in May 2025, the change came without disruption.

"It was a pretty smooth transition, honestly, because we had already contacted all our vendors, and we already had our compost set up," Vitae said. "We were lucky."

Not every York restaurant found the shift as seamless, but more than a year into the ban, the town has achieved what officials call a remarkable milestone: 100% compliance among the establishments subject to the regulation.

Now, York residents will have the opportunity to decide whether that success becomes permanent. The Select Board has scheduled a November vote on whether to remove the ordinance's sunset clause, which would allow the ban to expire on December 31.

The ordinance traces its roots to an unlikely source: a group of local high school students who originally proposed an even broader measure that would have banned single-use containers and cups as well. The Select Board, concerned about the financial burden on businesses already navigating post-pandemic challenges, scaled back the proposal to focus solely on straws, utensils, and stir sticks. Town Manager Peter Joseph said setting an expiration date served as a safeguard.

"We weren't the first place to do it, but it was progressive, innovative, kind of new," Joseph said. "Setting an expiry date was a precaution in case businesses were at war with code enforcement."

That precaution proved largely unnecessary. Code enforcement received roughly 10 to 12 complaints about violations over the past year, each resolved with a first warning. No fines were issued.

Casey Danilowitz, who owns the ice cream shop Wicked Good, approached the ban with initial skepticism. He worried the requirement would cut into his profits, particularly given the volume of single-use utensils a busy ice cream parlor requires. More than a year later, his concerns have eased considerably.

"Business is booming," Danilowitz said, though he remains cautious about advocating for permanence. While the additional cost—roughly a 20% increase in his spoon budget and occasional complaints about fragile straws—has been manageable for his shop, he wonders about establishments facing greater financial strain or difficulty sourcing appropriate alternatives.

The cost disparity between conventional and sustainable options is substantial. A bulk pack of 2,000 plastic straws sells for under $15, while comparable eco-friendly alternatives run nearly $100. Chef Tobey Ambrosino at Stones Throw noted that 2-ounce fiber cups for condiments—products not even covered by the ordinance but which several restaurants have voluntarily switched to—cost 34 cents each versus 16 cents for plastic versions.

Still, for restaurants positioned steps from Long Sands Beach, the premium feels justified.

"The added cost is worth it if it reduces the amount of plastic headed for the ocean," Ambrosino said.

Ian Morrison, manager of Fat Tomato on York Street, described the transition as "smooth sailing," though finding the right products remains an ongoing process. Identifying containers that adequately preserve food quality during delivery while remaining affordable continues to present challenges.

"It's been a bit of a back and forth trying to figure out which ones work best for storing hot food and which ones are affordable for cold food," Morrison said.

York's plastic reduction efforts stretch back more than a decade. The town became Maine's first to ban plastic shopping bags in 2015 and joined a handful of others in prohibiting polystyrene food containers in 2019. Both measures have since been adopted statewide.

Whether York's utensil ban is meaningfully reducing litter on the town's beaches and streets proves harder to quantify. Morrison acknowledged that even a small business serving roughly 100 customers on a busy day still generates considerable waste. Biodegradable products still become trash, and York draws tourists from areas where single-use plastics remain legal.

"I think keeping it going is definitely the right thing to do," Morrison said. "Just the amount of even a small business like us—we still make a lot of trash."

Resident Kathy Degrechie expressed mixed feelings. While she notices less plastic on the streets compared to a year ago, she questions whether a ban limited to utensils will create meaningful change in such a tourist-heavy community.

"It's such a big problem in the world that picking away at it with an ice pick, I'm not sure is going to have a huge impact," Degrechie said. "I think we're all victims, willingly, of the convenience of plastics. I guess it has to start somewhere."

That sentiment—that small steps might eventually yield larger change—echoed among several business owners. Vitae, Ambrosino, and Morrison all suggested the ordinance has encouraged both residents and visitors to take the carry-in-carry-out policy more seriously.

Morrison recalled that plastic bags didn't vanish overnight after York's first-in-state ban in 2015. But as surrounding communities adopted similar measures, he noticed fewer and fewer on the streets.

The same trajectory could unfold with plastic trash if the November vote succeeds and the ban becomes permanent. For now, York stands as something of a testing ground—a beach town of roughly 13,000 residents attempting to demonstrate that environmental responsibility and economic vitality can coexist.

The Select Board's decision to put the question to voters came after months of monitoring compliance and listening to feedback from the business community. Joseph characterized the current ordinance as a foundation rather than a final answer.

"We've seen what happened with plastic bags," he said. "It takes time, but change is possible."