Some Barrington restaurants support ban on plastics

What will Barrington's ban on plastics mean for local businesses? 

For some restaurants, the ban will have minimal impact. 

Fraser Coleman, a barista at The Black Pear, said her business only uses one plastic product — cups for iced coffees. All the other packaging is made of non-plastics, said Ms. Coleman, who added that The Black Pear is very supportive of the town's decision to ban the use of polystyrene plastics.

"We've started using paper straws in the restaurant and using mugs (in the restaurant) instead of plastic cups," said Ms. Coleman.

The Barrington Town Council approved the ban on plastic products at its meeting on Monday, Feb. 4. The ordinance will impact a wide range of organizations and businesses in town, including restaurants, stores, public and private schools, and houses of worship. The ban requires restaurants and other businesses to switch over to biodegradable products.

The Blue Kangaroo, a cafe on County Road, currently uses paper cups for take-out hot coffee. But for iced coffee and some food items, the restaurant uses plastic cups and plastic deli containers. 

Max Gelsomino, the manager at The Blue Kangaroo, said the ban will force an adjustment at the popular local eatery.

"…We'd have to come up with another solution for iced coffee and have to run our dishwasher more frequently, which costs more money in the long run," said Mr. Gelsimino, prior to Monday's meeting. 

Nacho Mamma's, a new restaurant in town, has already taken up its own plastic-free push. 

Al Sandoval, the owner of Nacho Mamma's on Maple Avenue, said the Barrington location uses 100 percent biodegradable and plant-based products from their utensils to napkins. 

"We try to be as green as we can," said Mr. Sandoval. "We even eliminated plastic soda bottles and now instead use bottled and canned sodas. Our employees are well-aware of what is to be recycled and what is to be thrown in the trash."

The Barrington location of Nacho Mamma's is a new addition to the town, having opened only last month. This marks an expansion from its original location in nearby Bristol. 

"We made the decision to go biodegradable in Barrington when we opened and plan on going biodegradable in Bristol by this year," said Mr. Sandoval.

Barrington's ban on plastics is the first of its kind in the state.

Barrington was also the first town in Rhode Island to ban the use of plastic shopping bags. 

Law details

The new law prohibits local businesses from selling polystyrene plastics, which includes Styrofoam.

The law also bans Barrington businesses from packaging items in polystyrene products. No longer can businesses use Styrofoam cups or polystyrene plastic food containers — they must use packaging that is biodegradable or compostable.

Local businesses must comply with the new law by July 1.