Sustainability FAQs

You can find the weather at village hall by visiting our weather station.

The Recreation Departments offers a wide range of activities and programs.

Yes. On Arbor Day the Village celebrates by planting a tree in one of their many parks. If you need more information go to the Arbor Day Foundation website.

No, this legislation does not apply to any polystyrene packing or shipping materials.

No. Many businesses are already switching away from disposable polystyrene products and opting for biodegradable containers made from material such as paper, cardboard, or plant-based plastics. Regular plastic containers are also acceptable under this legislation

The purpose of this law is to improve the environment in the Village of Rye Brook by discouraging the use of polystyrene products which are cost-prohibitive to recycle and are not biodegradable. Polystyrene is a petroleum-based plastic that takes thousands of years to break down, eventually releasing toxins into the environment. This legislation continues Rye Brook’s goal to protect the environment by converting our “disposable” habit to a “reusable” one. Polystyrene food containers are also a health risk, as the chemicals contained in the packaging can leach into food.

Yes, businesses that use plastic straws can still provide you with one should you need it. Be sure to ask your server or the person behind the counter and they will provide you with a straw.

Any single-use carryout bag that is less than 2.25 mils (thousandths of an inch) thick and is made predominantly of plastic derived from petroleum or from bio-based sources, such as corn or other plant sources, that is provided by a retail establishment or a Village facility to a customer at the point of sale.

The 10-cent fee will encourage residents to bring their own bags. Studies show that bag fees reduce single-use bag usage. Prior to being given a paper bag, a customer will be asked whether he/she wants a bag and be informed that it will cost 10 cents. The bag fees must be included on the customer’s receipt. Merchants will keep the 10-cent fee to offset any bag costs.

The purpose of this law is to improve the environment in the Village of Rye Brook by discouraging the use of single-use plastic straws which are not recyclable or biodegradable. These straws often end up polluting waterways, clogging sewers, and injuring or even killing marine life. This legislation continues Rye Brook’s goal to protect the environment by converting our “disposable” habit to a “reusable” one.

Here are some Ideas:

• Keep your bags in your car or purse
• Put something important in your bags (keyst, phone, etc)
• Go back to the car for your bags when you realize you forgot them

Assume that any food that you purchase at the store has bacteria and needs to be cleaned – especially if you put it in a shopping cart! Produce and deli bags are not banned and help protect against bacteria. However, we do recommend periodically cleaning your reusable bag. Canvas, recycled plastic, and nylon bags can easily be washed while insulated bags can be wiped with antibacterial wipes.

Reusable bags can be made from a variety of materials such as from fabric like canvas, woven synthetic fibers, or a thick plastic that is more durable than disposable plastic bags, allowing multiple uses. Also, many times recycled plastic is used in the reusable bags. Reusable bags, even when made out of plastic, significantly reduce the environmental impact created by single-use bags.

Consider not using plastic bags in your small wastebaskets. Using a large plastic bag for your garbage can hold significantly more garbage than plastic shopping bags. Also, some manufacturers offer garbage bags that claim a minimum 60% recycled content. You can also significantly reduce your overall trash and thus your need for plastic garbage bags by composting. Rye Brook has a Food Scrap Recycling Program that’s free for residents to use. Food scraps of all types can be collected and drop off in the rear parking lot of Village Hall. For more information about the program, call (914) 939-0077.

Any covered store violating this law would receive a warning for the first violation, may be subject to a fine in the amount of $150 for the second violation, $200 for the third violation, and $250 for the fourth and subsequent violations occurring within a one-year period.

The local law shall take effect on June 1, 2019 to allow retail establishments time to exhaust their existing inventory of single use carryout bags and convert to alternative packaging materials.

Any establishment engaged in the retail sale of consumer, personal, or household items, including but not limited to supermarkets, food service establishments, pharmacies, convenience stores, apparel stores, home or hardware stores, stationery and office supply stores, and other establishments that provide carryout bags to customers in which to place purchased items.

On the contrary, national research has shown the long-term effects on stores are very positive. Reducing the number of single-use bags used by shoppers can also reduce costs for business owners.

The objective of the law is to promote the use of reusable bags by reducing our dependence on single use bags. Based on the experience of other communities, it is believed that this legislation will significantly reduce the number of single-use plastic and paper bags used in Rye Brook. However, when shoppers forget their bags they will still have the option of using paper bags to carry their purchases out of the store.

No. Many communities, just like Rye Brook, have understood the need to solve their litter and pollution problems by passing similar laws. Hastings-on-Hudson, New Castle, Larchmont, Mamaroneck, and Rye City are all municipalities within Westchester that have passed laws. There are hundreds of towns, cities and other countries that have similar laws.

The purpose of this law is to improve the environment in the Village of Rye Brook by encouraging the use of reusable checkout bags and banning single-use retail bags. Non-biodegradable plastic bags often end up polluting our open spaces and waterways, clogging sewers, endangering marine life and causing unsightly litter. These bags last hundreds of years in landfills and are a potential source of harmful chemicals when they do break down. This legislation continues Rye Brook’s leadership in protecting our environment for our children by moving away from our “disposable” habit to a “reusable” one

Yes!  Rye Brook is proud its many green initiatives and has a very active Sustainability Committee.  Please visit the sustainability page to learn more about items such as food scrap recycling, and our legislation banning plastic bags, Styrofoam and discouraging the distribution of plastic straws.  There are many tips and suggestions to encourage residents to help protect the environment.

We provide a  facility Usage Permit form that can be downloaded and brought to the parks and recreation superintendent.