Arkansas preempts local plastic straw bans under Code 8-9-301. Little Rock cannot require restaurants to switch to paper or limit straws to on-request distribution; voluntary on-request policies are common.
Plastic straws are auxiliary containers within the meaning of Arkansas Code 8-9-301, so Little Rock has no authority to ban them, charge for them, or mandate by-request-only distribution as cities like Seattle and Washington, D.C. have done. Many local restaurants nonetheless offer straws only on request as a voluntary cost and sustainability measure, and bars often default to paper. Federal ADA considerations require operators that switch to paper or compostable straws to keep flexible plastic straws available for patrons with disabilities who need them. The city focuses on litter cleanup along the Arkansas River corridor.
Any local straw ban or by-request-only mandate would be preempted and unenforceable; littering of straws falls under general litter rules.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Little Rock, AR
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