California AB-1884 prohibits dine-in restaurants from automatically providing plastic straws unless requested, and San Jose layers SJMC Chapter 9.10 single-use foodware rules pushing toward compostable or paper alternatives.
California AB-1884, effective 2019, prohibits full-service restaurants from automatically providing plastic straws to customers; straws may only be supplied on request. San Jose enforces this rule alongside its broader Single-Use Foodware Ordinance under SJMC Chapter 9.10, which targets disposable foodware accessories more broadly and pushes restaurants toward compostable or paper alternatives. Quick-service and takeout vendors are not directly covered by AB-1884 but face local pressure through procurement and waste rules. Customers retain the right to request a plastic straw, and accessibility accommodations for people with disabilities are preserved. Schools, hospitals, and city facilities follow stricter zero-waste procurement standards.
Full-service restaurants automatically distributing plastic straws receive a warning for the first two violations; subsequent violations bring administrative fines around 25 dollars per day capped at 300 dollars annually under AB-1884.
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See how San Jose's plastic straw rules rules stack up against other locations.
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