Utah Code §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 §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
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Salt Lake City, UT
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See how Salt Lake City's plastic straw rules rules stack up against other locations.
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