Port restaurants go plastics-free in July

BY CAMERYN OAKES

It’s a question everyone asks: What am I eating for dinner? But after a long day of working and a fridge full of ingredients that need to be prepared for a meal, the answer to the question is often to order takeout.

But along with the food delivered to the house are a plethora of condiment packets that are already in the fridge and plastic cutlery that’s simply thrown out to be replaced by silverware waiting in the drawers.

Rather than having these disposable items go to waste, Grassroots Environmental Education has launched the Plastic-Free July campaign, which Port Washington restaurants are participating in by omitting single-use plastics in their take-out orders.

Grassroots Environmental Education is an environmental health nonproft established in 2000. Executive Director Patti Wood said its mission is to educate the public about the link between common environmental exposures and human health impacts.

The Plastic-Free July campaign is an initiative working solely with Port Washington restaurants and food establishments to drop the use of plastics in take-out orders throughout the month of July.

Participating restaurants include 21 Port Washington eateries, such as DiMaggio’s, La P’tite Framboise, Gino’s and Toscanini Ristorante.

Wood said many participating restaurants have enjoyed the program and are considering implementing the plastic-free practices beyond the month of July by asking where they can purchase the BioBags for continued use. A BioBag is a compostable, non-plastic bag for take-out orders.

“Which is exactly what we want them to do,” Wood said. “Which is to continue this past July because A: their customers want it, B: they’re saving money not putting all the plastic things in every single bag, and C: they’re responsible people too. They know that climate change is upon us. They know that plastics are part of the problem, that plastic production creates a lot of greenhouse gases.”

This includes participating restaurant Amalf at 49 Old Shore Rd. in Port Washington.

Owner Rafaele Semia said they think the campaign is a great idea and he was willing to participate in it. He said it has been going well,

Continued on Page 41