New York Environmental Conservation Law Section 27-2705 prohibits Westchester restaurants and retailers from automatically providing single-use plastic beverage straws; straws must be supplied only when affirmatively requested by the customer.
New York's straws-on-request law, codified at Environmental Conservation Law Section 27-2705, applies statewide including throughout Westchester County. Food service establishments cannot place plastic straws automatically into beverages or in unattended self-serve dispensers. Customers who ask receive a straw with no questions asked, preserving access for people with disabilities who rely on flexible plastic straws. Westchester villages including Larchmont and Mamaroneck adopted earlier local versions before state preemption. The rule applies to dine-in, takeout, and drive-through service. Compostable and reusable alternatives are commonly substituted as defaults.
DEC enforcement notices and fines for restaurants that automatically distribute plastic straws or display them in unattended self-serve fashion.
See how Yonkers's plastic straw rules rules stack up against other locations.
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