Natick Straw Ban Won't Make Town Meeting, But Effort Continues

NATICK, MA — This isn't the last straw for Clay Napurano.

A plastic straw ban in Natick that was supposed to be voted on at the spring Town Meeting will be pushed aside due to the town's budget woes. But the recent Natick High School graduate behind the effort is moving forward, with his sights set on proposing the ban again.

Napurano, 17, made headlines in the spring when he convinced Natick High School to stop using plastic straws in the cafeteria. The next logical step, he said, was a townwide ban. He mounted a citizen petition to Town Meeting that would essentially eliminate plastic straws from all sit-down restaurants in town — importantly, Napurano's bylaw would still allow straws in some circumstances, like for people with disabilities. There would be a small fine attached, but not big enough to "put the kibosh" on small businesses, he says.

"I'm not trying to take plastic straws out of people's hands," he said.

The effort was going well: He enlisted a friend of his father's, a Town Meeting member, to help write the resolution. There was a hearing on the article at a March Finance Committee meeting, where it passed.

But then coronavirus hit. Natick's first positive coronavirus test happened just two days before Napurano's Finance Committee hearing. The pandemic brought new fears about Natick's budget picture due to projected revenue losses. The spring Town Meeting, which will be held Saturday, will be focused entirely on the 2021 fiscal year budget.

The movement to ban or restrict straws began sweeping the United States several years ago, perhaps spurred by a 2017 video of a sea turtle with a straw stuck up its nose. Like plastic shopping bag bans, the idea is to reduce plastic consumption, which in turn reduces plastic waste in waterways and oceans. California was the first state to restrict straw use, and Seattle so far is the biggest city to do so. Somerville banned straws earlier this year.

Napurano encountered the straw issue after serving as an emcee for a Natick Earth Day festival. The soon-to-be Brandeis University freshman is interested in public service, so he's comfortable engaging with local and state government on the issue. Before his Natick High School straw ban, he had met with state Rep. David Linsky about a statewide ban.

Technically, Napurano's straw bylaw will be voted on during Town Meeting on Saturday, but it and 18 other articles that are not considered time-sensitive will be "referred" back to the sponsors.

"If I can pass a resolution once before, I can do it again," Napurano said Tuesday. "I'm glad I get the opportunity to do this again."

Napurano thinks he can get the issue before fall Town Meeting. He also wants to help get a statewide restriction in place (there have been a few proposed in the state Legislature, but none have passed) and has met with politicians, including Green New Deal-backer U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, about the issue.

"There are always pushbacks," he said. "As long as I remain dedicated and working hard, set my mind to banning or restricting plastic straws, it's definitely going to happen."

The Natick spring Town Meeting begins July 11 at 10 a.m. via Zoom. You can read all the warrants here, and the Finance Committee recommendations here.