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

Section 9-106.2 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. 2021-04, but delayed enforcement: Section 9-106.4(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. Retail stores are carved out entirely and may still sell plastic cutlery under Section 9-106.2(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. The Director of the Office of Sustainability and Environment must publish a list of non-metal alternative utensil materials under Section 9-106.3.