On September 1, 2021, single-use plastic water bottles will no longer be sold in 7 of the 15 Barnstable County towns including Brewster, Eastham, Falmouth, Harwich, Orleans, Provincetown, and Wellfleet.
According to Sustainable Practices, a Barnstable County-focused environmental action group, over 1,500 single-use plastic water bottles are used and discarded every second. While it’s better to recycle single-use plastic bottles than throw them in the trash, refusing them altogether has become the top priority.
Back in June of 2021, all 15 Cape Cod towns instituted a Municipal Plastic Bottle Ban, which eliminated the purchase of single-use plastic beverages by town governments and prohibited the sale on town properties. In addition, 10 of these towns have now adopted a Commercial Plastic Bottle Ban, prohibiting the sale of single-use plastic water bottles by in town retailers. Beginning in September of 2021, the water bottles will no longer be sold in Brewster, Eastham, Falmouth, Harwich, Orleans, Provincetown, and Wellfleet with the towns of Chatham, Dennis, and Sandwich soon following suit in later months.
As a result of this, Cape Cod has the most municipalities enacting the ban in the country, becoming the leader in this green initiative nationwide.
To learn more about The Cape Plastic Bottle Ban, please visit
Sustainable Practices.
Visitors should pack reusable water bottles for their trip or plan to purchase a reusable bottle at one of the many retailers throughout the Cape.
Not sure where to refill your bottle? Findtap.com is a great tool to find refill stations. Simply enter your vacation zip code, and the website will provide nearby locations. Users can also add refill stations that aren’t listed to improve the website list. This website is providing a valuable resource to the community.
Many of the rentals listed on WeNeedaVacation.com include water filters. To find these homes, please select “Filtered Water” under our Green Amenities section.
This initiative will reduce waste and lower Cape Cod’s carbon footprint, making the Cape a national leader for green initiatives.