On January 1, a new regulation was put into effect in Wellesley. Known as the “Skip the Stuff” bylaw, its purpose is to reduce plastic waste and promote sustainability throughout Wellesley. Instead of automatically receiving single-use sauce packets and plastic cutlery, customers will now be required to ask an employee for these items. 

Although it was just recently put into effect, the bylaw was passed by Wellesley’s Town Meeting in April of 2025. 

“I’m aware that this is part of Wellesley’s longstanding effort to decrease waste. And it’s a really important strategy for decreasing the amount of plastic waste,” said Ms. Regina Laroque, a Town Meeting member. “The honest answer is this is only one very small step in the right direction. There’s a lot more that we need to be doing to decrease plastic waste.”

Although not involved in the passing of the bylaw itself, Laroque is an integral member of Sustainable Wellesley and promotes climate-friendly practices. 

This bylaw states that all places categorized as Food Service Establishments in Wellesley must require customers to request all single-use items or place them on a service bench or table for customers to grab as needed. 

For instance, at the Linden Square Starbucks, if one needs plastic utensils, they have to ask at the counter for them. However, if one wants a straw, stirrer, or sweetener packets, they can go to the service bench at the front to grab them for themself. 

Establishments are not allowed to include utensils with takeout or delivery orders unless specifically instructed by the customer to do so. When using apps, consumers must indicate or state specifically which types of single-use items they would like.

Additionally, single-use items cannot be bundled together to prevent customers from receiving items that they don’t actually need. For example, plastic utensils like forks, spoons, and knives can’t be wrapped together in a plastic pack. If a customer wants all three, they must tell an employee. 

“There is a lot that people can do to personally reduce their plastic waste, and the big one is plastic bottles,” said Laroque. “You can simply not buy them. It’s important to use reusable containers.”

This bylaw was first introduced to the town by Ms. Philippa Biggers and Ms. Lisa Gieger, two members of Sustainable Wellesley. 

“We wanted [the bylaw] to go slowly and have it be something everyone could agree on, because it’s really pretty fundamental,” said Biggers. “Most people, frankly, are very relieved not to get the extra utensils.”

They were inspired by the bylaw that was passed in Newton, which, in addition to the elements included in the Wellesley bylaw, includes providing recyclable takeout containers as well as weights on helium balloons to prevent unintentional release. 

“One of the most exciting things for us was how receptive the town government and the town board were—not just the boards, but the people who work for this town were immediately understanding of the issue and wanted to do something about it,” said Biggers. 

They presented to many boards—the DPW, the House Department, the Natural Resource Commission, and the Climate Action Board. Biggers started her mission in September of 2024 and finally got it passed by the town meeting seven months later.