Massachusetts Plastic Straw Rules and Local Authority

Massachusetts has no statewide plastic straw prohibition or upon-request rule, leaving regulation to local governments. Cities including Brookline, Cambridge, and Newton have adopted ordinances requiring straws-on-request, banning plastic straws outright, or mandating compostable alternatives. ADA accommodations require restaurants to provide flexible straws to guests with disabilities even where bans apply. State agencies have moved toward sustainable purchasing under environmental procurement policy, but no MGL chapter directly governs straws.

Local ordinance penalties typically begin with warnings followed by fines of $50 to $300 per violation under municipal solid-waste enforcement procedures.