Portland, OR Single-Use Items: Plastic Straw Rules (2026)

PCC 17.103.310 ('Restrictions on Single-Use Plastic Serviceware'), adopted by Portland City Council in late 2018 and effective October 1, 2019, requires that any 'Retail Food and Beverage Establishment' or 'Cafeteria' in the city provide single-use plastic serviceware only after a customer requests it. 'Plastic serviceware' is defined at PCC 17.103.300 to include single-use plastic straws, stirrers, utensils (forks, knives, spoons), and condiment packaging -- and explicitly includes compostable and biodegradable plastic. Non-plastic alternatives (paper, sugarcane, bamboo, wood) are not covered by the by-request rule and may be provided automatically. For dine-in service, employees must wait for the customer to ask. For takeout or delivery (including third-party platforms like DoorDash or Uber Eats), the employee must explicitly ask whether the customer wants serviceware and may only add it if the customer says yes. Self-service utensil and condiment stations at cafeterias and counter-service restaurants are exempt (PCC 17.103.310.B). Items pre-attached to a beverage container (such as the straw on a juice box) at retail sale are exempt. Free or reduced-price meals provided to vulnerable populations (food banks, shelters, schools) are exempt. Oregon House Bill 2883 (2019) created a parallel statewide rule that prohibits restaurants from providing single-use plastic straws unless requested; the state law uses the same by-request structure but is narrower (straws only, not full serviceware). Where both apply, the stricter Portland rule controls in Portland.