How Anchorage Handles Single-Use Items: A Practical Guide

Anchorage maintains 204 local ordinances across all categories, and 3 of those deal specifically with single-use items. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Anchorage falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Plastic Straw Rules

Anchorage has no ordinance restricting plastic straws or stirrers. Restaurants may freely provide plastic straws, although many local cafes voluntarily switched to paper or compostable alternatives following the 2018 Climate Action Plan dialogue.

Key details: Straw ban: None. Authority: AMC silent. Voluntary programs: Active. ADA waiver: Not needed.

No ordinance violations apply specifically to plastic straws. General litter and stormwater rules under AMC Title 26 still cover discarded straws as solid waste.

Anchorage is more permissive than most cities when it comes to plastic straw rules. That said, there are still limits.

Plastic Bag Rules

Anchorage Ord. 2018-141 imposed a 10-cent fee per disposable single-use plastic and paper bag at retail checkout, effective September 2019. Alaska does not preempt local bag bans, leaving the rule fully enforceable.

Key details: Fee: 10 cents per bag. Ordinance: Ord. 2018-141. Effective: September 2019. SNAP/WIC: Exempt.

Retailers who fail to charge the 10-cent fee or who provide banned thin plastic carryout bags face notices of violation and fines under AMC Title 26 administrative penalties.

Polystyrene Foam Rules

Anchorage has not adopted a polystyrene foam (Styrofoam) ban for food service containers. Restaurants and retailers may legally use foam clamshells and cups, though MOA has encouraged voluntary alternatives through its Climate Action Plan.

Key details: Foam ban: None adopted. Curbside recycling: Not accepted. Drop events: Block foam only. Plan target: CAP 2019.

There are no current AMC violations specific to polystyrene foam use; standard solid waste and litter rules under AMC Title 26 still apply for improperly discarded foam.

Anchorage is more permissive than most cities when it comes to polystyrene foam rules. That said, there are still limits.

The Bottom Line

Compared to many U.S. cities, Anchorage gives residents more room on single-use items. 2 of the 3 rules here are rated permissive. But permissive does not mean unregulated. There are still requirements, and the city does enforce them when violations are reported.

Keep in mind that Anchorage can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.