DC restaurants must provide plastic straws and stirrers only on request under the Sustainable DC Omnibus Act, and beginning 2024 all single-use stirrers must be compostable.
DC Code 8-1531.01 requires food service businesses to provide plastic straws only when a customer specifically requests one. Self-service straw dispensers are prohibited. Beginning January 2024, all stirrers must be made of compostable material such as wood or PHA-based bioplastic. ADA exception requires retailers to keep flexible plastic straws available for customers with disabilities upon request, even at locations otherwise transitioning to paper. DOEE enforces through inspection and complaint-based investigation. Violations are tracked alongside polystyrene compliance.
Offering plastic straws without request, operating self-service straw dispensers, or refusing ADA-required flexible straws can trigger DOEE warnings then $100-$800 fines per inspection cycle.
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