MARBLETOWN ECC Presents “Marbletown Green Award” to THE LAST BITE CAFE

Photo Credit Ron Bicknell- 

MARBLETOWN ECC Presents “Marbletown Green Award” to THE LAST BITE CAFE for Eliminating Single-Use Plastics, Protecting Climate, Oceans, Wildlife and Our Local Community.

The Marbletown Environmental Conservation Commission (ECC) presented its first “Marbletown Green Award” to High Falls’ The Last Bite Café at the Marbletown Town Board meeting on Tuesday, March 5, at 7:00 PM. The award was created by the ECC to recognize local business for adopting and implementing green business practices. In 2016, The Last Bite Café was the first restaurant in Marbletown known to have banned not only plastic straws but also single-use plastic cups. This presentation of this award marks a series of firsts for Marbletown, which—also in 2016—was the first community in the Hudson Valley to pass a Plastic Straw Free Resolution.

Throughout the Hudson Valley, individual restaurants are beginning to ban and/or phase out single-use plastic straws, cups, stirrers and cutlery. “While Ulster County has stepped up to address the ecological crisis caused by single-use plastic bags and Styrofoam, “ noted Marbletown Councilman Eric Stewart, “ there isn’t yet any legislation at the county or state-level regarding other single-use plastics. Thus far, it has fallen to innovative local business such as The Last Bite Café to take these positive steps. Such businesses need the support, appreciation and recognition from both local government and the public. We hope the ECC’s ‘Marbletown Green Awards’ will encourage just that.”

“We thank the Marbletown ECC and the Town for honoring us with this environmental award,” said café owner Scott Albright. “As an avid outdoorsman, it brings me great pride that The Last Bite Café is being recognized in this fashion.”

“We were so delighted when Scott Albright not only supported our Plastic Straw Free Resolution and immediately banned plastic straws from his shop, but also made a big ‘NO PLASTIC’ sign out of straws and banned ALL plastic from The Last Bite—including plastic cups,” said Marbletown ECC Commissioner, Iris Marie Bloom, who spearheaded the Plastic Straw Free Resolution in Marbletown. “We hope that this will inspire more local businesses to follow suit.”