Utah Code Β§10-9a-528 preempts Salt Lake City from regulating single-use plastic straws. Restaurants may choose to offer straws on request only, switch to paper alternatives, or eliminate them voluntarily, but no city ordinance can compel them.
Utah's 2019 auxiliary-container preemption at Β§10-9a-528 broadly covers plastic straws alongside bags and foam containers. Cities including West Hollywood, Seattle, and Berkeley have adopted on-request-only or paper-mandate straw rules; Salt Lake City cannot. SLC restaurants may voluntarily move to compostable straws, paper straws, or on-request policies, and many local establishments have done so as part of broader sustainability efforts. The Americans with Disabilities Act protects access to flexible plastic straws as a reasonable accommodation; even cities with bans typically include disability exceptions. The city promotes voluntary action through its sustainability office.
Because state preemption blocks local regulation, no straw-related city violations exist. Restaurants offering plastic straws face no Salt Lake City code enforcement.
Salt Lake City, UT
Utah Code Β§10-9a-528 enacted in 2019 prohibits Utah cities and counties from banning, taxing, or regulating single-use plastic bags. Salt Lake City cannot ad...
Salt Lake City, UT
Utah Code Β§10-9a-528 preempts Salt Lake City from banning polystyrene foam takeout containers. Restaurants may voluntarily switch to alternative materials, b...
See how Salt Lake City's plastic straw rules rules stack up against other locations.
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