EAST AURORA, N.Y. — The East Aurora Village Board met on Monday to discuss doing away with plastic products at local restaurants and came to a tentative agreement. The board passed a ban to get rid of plastic straws and plastic stir sticks for all food service businesses in the Village of East Aurora.
Titled the Law for Environmental Stewardship on the agenda, it was proposed by Mayor Peter Murcurio's 17-year old son Anthony Murcurio as part of an Eagle Scout project for his Boy Scout troop.
"My science teacher Lawrence Grisanti, I was in AP Biology in the 2018-2019 school year, and he showed us many videos that had to do with the effect that plastics had on the environment and how horrible they were, and that got me thinking about what I could do to make a difference and so I thought maybe doing a law would be a good idea," Anthony Murcurio said.
The initial proposal called for a local law to prohibit the use of certain non-compostable items at restaurants including plastic straws, plastic ware, and plastic takeout containers.
Businesses in East Aurora will have a six-month compliance window to abide by the new ban, and an advisory board has been established to make recommendations down the road.
"I'm happy that the trustees heard all sides and took it reasonably," said Jessica Armbrust, general manager of the East Aurora Co-op Market. "I think the advisory committee is fantastic. I look forward to having more conversations. I think we're a small town and work together on all the great issues. We can set a good example."
“It was kind of stressful. I didn’t think of how many people were going to be so upset by it," Anthony Murcurio said. "Getting the straws and stir stick banned, that was what I thought was best for right now.”
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