SACRAMENTO — People who want straws with their drinks at California restaurants will have to request them under a new law.
The law signed Thursday by Gov. Jerry Brown makes California the first state to bar full-service restaurants from automatically giving out single-use plastic straws. It takes effect next year.
The law doesnt ban plastic straws outright like some cities have. San Francisco and Seattle passed bans earlier this year.
Related links
- New system to clean up plastic in the ocean is launching from California this month
- Proposed California law to limit plastic straw use passes Assembly, moves to state Senate
- 6 California bills aimed to curb plastic pollution and litter – where are they now?
- Earth Day 2018: Here are 6 California bills that aim to reduce plastic litter and pollution
California restaurants that dont comply will get two warnings before being fined up to $300 per year. It will apply only to full-service restaurants, not fast food establishments.
Democratic lawmakers who support the policy call it a small step toward reducing ocean pollution.
Brown, who has made environmental issues a signature priority, pointed to the large amount of plastic dumped in oceans every year that can kill whales and fish and contaminate peoples food and water supply.
“Plastic has helped advance innovation in our society, but our infatuation with single-use convenience has led to disastrous consequences,” Brown wrote in a statement. “Plastics, in all forms — straws, bottles, packaging, bags, etc. — are choking the planet.”
Critics argue Californias new law is government overreach that wont significantly improve the environment. Some say restricting straws hurts disabled people who rely on them.
Some Republican lawmakers who voted against the measure said it would unfairly punish restaurants, although the restaurant industry didnt oppose the proposal.
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