Suffolk County Local Law adopted a Skip the Straw rule requiring food service establishments to provide single-use plastic straws and stirrers only on customer request, aligning with broader county environmental policy.
Suffolk County passed a local law requiring food service establishments not to automatically provide single-use plastic straws and stirrers; customers must specifically request them. The rule supports sea turtle and shoreline protection along the Long Island coast. Restaurants, food trucks, and cafeterias must keep straws behind the counter and offer them only on request, with reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities who need them for medical reasons. Compostable or paper alternatives may be offered by default. Enforcement is by SCDHS and town code enforcement; first violations typically receive a warning, with escalating fines for continued non-compliance.
Automatically distributing plastic straws or stirrers without a customer request can result in warnings followed by escalating fines under the county and town single-use plastics enforcement protocols.
See how Huntington's plastic straw rules rules stack up against other locations.
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