Somerville, MA Single-Use Items: Utensils-On-Request (2026)

2 bars any food establishment from dispensing, distributing, or selling plastic cutlery in conjunction with the sale or service of prepared food except upon a customer's request. Plastic cutlery is defined as any one-time-use utensil, such as a fork, spoon, spork, or knife, made predominantly from petroleum-based or biologically based plastic polymer; wood or bamboo utensils fall outside the definition entirely. The rule reaches city departments and any contractor, vendor, or entity operating in a city facility under a city agreement, all of whom must also hold cutlery back unless requested.

Somerville added cutlery to what had been a straws-and-stirrers-only rule through Ordinance No. 4(d) sets the cutlery prohibition's effective date at April 1, 2022, later than the rest of the ordinance, and it did not apply to schools until a year after that. 2(b)(3). Other exemptions cover an individual's own personal use, pre-packaged meals that already include cutlery, health care facilities, and locally declared emergencies. 3.