Plano does not restrict plastic straws or stirrers. State preemption of container regulation under Texas Health and Safety Code Section 361.0961 prevents the city from banning, fee-ing, or requiring upon-request distribution of single-use plastic straws.
Several states and coastal cities have enacted straws-on-request rules or outright plastic straw bans citing marine debris concerns. Texas has not, and Section 361.0961 has been read by courts and the Texas Attorney General to bar local governments from regulating containers and packaging for solid waste purposes. Plano restaurants may voluntarily switch to paper, reusable, or compostable straws or adopt internal upon-request policies, but the city cannot require it. Customers who need a flexible plastic straw for accessibility reasons remain protected by federal Americans with Disabilities Act guidance, which recommends keeping plastic straws available even where alternatives are offered.
No Plano penalty exists for distributing plastic straws. Discarding straws as litter remains subject to standard Texas litter and illegal dumping fines under Health and Safety Code Chapter 365.
Plano, TX
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Plano, TX
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See how other cities in Collin County handle plastic straw rules.
See how Plano's plastic straw rules rules stack up against other locations.
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