Somerville, MA Single-Use Items: Plastic Straw Rules (2026)

2 of the Code of Ordinances prohibits any food establishment from dispensing, distributing, or selling a plastic beverage straw in conjunction with the sale or service of prepared food, except upon a customer's request. The same request-only rule applies to plastic stirrers and plastic cutlery. City departments, and any contractor or vendor operating in a city facility under a city agreement, are held to the identical standard. A food establishment that offers plastic straws on request while also providing other self-serve single-use items, such as napkins or cup lids, should post a printed sign reading "plastic straws are available upon request" wherever those items sit.

The ordinance, adopted May 9, 2019 and amended April 12, 2021 to add cutlery, defines a plastic beverage straw as a tube made predominantly of petroleum-based or biologically based plastic polymer for drinking, excluding paper, sugar cane, or bamboo straws. Exceptions cover individuals who bring their own straw, pre-packaged beverages that already include a straw, health care facilities, and locally declared emergencies. 3.