Framingham Ban On Nips, Styrofoam: Council To Review Proposal

FRAMINGHAM, MA — A sweeping ban on different types of plastic and foam packaging will be reviewed by the Framingham City Council — an idea so contentious it nearly didn't make it to a Council subcommittee.

Keep Framingham Beautiful, a litter pickup group founded last year, brought the proposal to the City Council on Tuesday. The policy would ban the use of Styrofoam, small plastic liquor bottles known as "nips" and all types of plastic resin.

Council Vice Chair Adam Steiner introduced the measure, asking for a vote to send it to the Council's Environmental Subcommittee for a discussion.

But several Councilors lambasted the proposal, saying it would wreak havoc on small businesses that use plastic packaging — and even massive businesses, like the BlueTriton Brands (formerly Nestle) water plant in Framingham that bottles local water under brands like Poland Spring.

Keep Framingham Beautiful member Ken Weiss pleaded with the Council to at least discuss the proposal, saying the group mainly wants to eliminate Styrofoam packaging. Some cities and towns in Massachusetts have already passed laws banning polystyrene foam — Wayland did in 2017.

"We need to find a way and that's why we go to you, the City Council," Weiss said.

The Council ultimately voted 7 to 4 to send the proposal to the Environmental Subcommittee. Council Chair George King, District 4 Councilor Michael Cannon, At-Large Councilor Janet Leombruno and District 8 Councilor John Stefanini voted against sending it to the committee.

What's next for the proposal?

Now, the proposal will go to the Environmental Subcommittee, chaired by District 2 Councilor Cesar Stewart-Morales, for debate. For a new law to pass in Framingham, it has to be voted out of a subcommittee and passed to the larger City Council for a full vote. Even then, new laws have to get a majority vote two separate times before going into place.