Chicago Municipal Code chapter 7-38 bars food and beverage establishments from automatically providing single-use plastic straws and stirrers. Servers must give a straw only if a customer asks. Self-service straw stations and pre-set straws on tables are prohibited.
MCC chapter 7-38 makes Chicago a straws-on-request city. Restaurants, fast-food outlets, coffee shops, food trucks, and beverage retailers cannot place single-use plastic straws or stirrers at self-service drink stations or automatically include them with drink orders. Staff may hand a straw to a customer who specifically asks. The rule applies citywide, including drive-thrus and delivery. Persons with disabilities must be accommodated without burden, and compostable or paper alternatives are encouraged. The ordinance complements Chicago's broader sustainability goals and aligns with Illinois Public Act 102-0492 procurement limits. CDPH inspects compliance during routine restaurant visits, with warnings before fines.
Auto-distributing plastic straws or stirrers in Chicago violates MCC chapter 7-38 with administrative fines from one hundred fifty to five hundred dollars per offense, escalating for repeat infractions and triggering inspection follow-up.
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