Following California's move to restrict the use of plastic straws statewide, the city of Los Angeles on Tuesday will consider a proposal to enact an outright ban on the straws in local restaurants by 2021.
The state law to restrict plastic straws goes into effect Jan. 1 and limits restaurants to giving out single-use straws only upon request of customers. It applies to full-service dining establishments but exempts fast-food restaurants.
The LA proposal to ban plastic straws will be taken up Tuesday by the Los Angeles City Council. The plan, which also could potentially impact fast-food chains, directs the city to mitigate any impacts an outright straw ban might have on the local disabled community.
Several other cities in California, including Malibu and San Francisco, have passed outright bans against the use of plastic straws as well as other single-use items, including plastic utensils. The city of Los Angeles will consider the proposal for an outright ban on straws by 2021 as it also looks to implement new rules for complying with the state law.
Environmentalists have been fighting to curb plastic waste found in oceans, lakes, rivers and even drinking water. The effort includes campaigns against single-use grocery bags and bottle caps.
According to the National Park Service, Americans use an estimated 500 million drinking straws every day, or enough to fill up 125 school buses. Some of those straws end up in the ocean where they cause harm to whales, turtles and other sea life.
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