Plastic Straw Rules: Gresham vs Portland
How do plastic straw rules rules compare between Gresham, OR and Portland, OR?
Gresham and Portland have similar restriction levels.
Gresham, OR
Multnomah County
ORS 459A.876 limits when restaurants and convenience stores may distribute single-use plastic straws, requiring customer request first.
View full Gresham rules →Portland, OR
Multnomah County
Portland City Code 17.103.310 (effective October 1, 2019) prohibits restaurants, cafeterias, and other food and beverage establishments from providing single-use plastic straws, stirrers, utensils, and condiment packets unless the customer specifically requests them. The rule covers compostable and biodegradable plastic items as well. Self-service stations are an exception. Oregon HB 2883 (2019) created a parallel statewide straws-on-request rule.
View full Portland rules →Key Facts Comparison
| Fact | Gresham | Portland |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | |
| City Code | - | PCC 17.103.310 |
| Effective Date | - | October 1, 2019 |
| Covers | - | Straws, stirrers, utensils, condiment packets |
| Includes | - | Compostable/biodegradable plastic |
| Exemption | - | Self-service cafeteria stations |
| State Parallel | - | Oregon HB 2883 (straws only) |
Highlighted rows indicate differences between cities.
Gresham FAQ
Are paper straws affected?
No. The law applies only to single-use plastic straws.
What if I have a disability?
Establishments must accommodate customers needing flexible plastic straws for disability reasons.
Portland FAQ
Can a Portland restaurant give me a plastic straw automatically?
No. PCC 17.103.310 requires Portland restaurants to provide plastic straws only after a customer requests one. For takeout and delivery, the employee must explicitly ask. The rule includes compostable and biodegradable plastic straws -- only non-plastic materials (paper, bamboo) may be provided automatically.
Does the by-request rule apply to forks and ketchup packets too?
Yes. PCC 17.103.310 covers all single-use plastic serviceware: straws, stirrers, utensils (forks, knives, spoons), and condiment packets. The statewide Oregon law (HB 2883) covers only straws, but the broader Portland rule controls in city limits.
Compare other topics
See how Gresham and Portland compare on other ordinance categories.
Want to add a third city?
Use our full comparison tool to compare up to three cities.
Open Comparison Tool