Plastic straw bans by state and country (2026)
Where plastic-straw legislation has and hasn't passed, what it covers, and how inclusive each ban is. Updated annually.
How to read this page
"Plastic-straw ban" can mean any of several things — full retail bans, foodservice-only bans, "by request only" laws, or municipal restrictions on specific items. We've categorized below by the actual legal mechanism. Inclusive means the law explicitly preserves access to plastic straws for people with disabilities.
United States — state level
| State | Year | Mechanism | Inclusive? |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 2018 | Sit-down restaurants must give straws by request only | Yes |
| Oregon | 2019 | Sit-down restaurants by request only | Yes |
| Washington | 2021 | Foodservice straws by request only statewide | Yes |
| New Jersey | 2021 | Single-use plastic broader law incl. straws | Yes |
| New York | 2022 | Foodservice by request only | Yes |
| Hawaii | 2022 | State foodservice operations + by-request rules | Yes |
| Maine | 2023 | Foodservice by request only | Yes |
| Vermont | 2020 | Foodservice by request only | Yes |
| Maryland | 2024 | Foodservice by request only (recent) | Yes |
Approximately 20 additional states have considered legislation that hasn't passed (as of 2026). The political pattern: coastal states with strong environmental advocacy have moved first; interior states have generally not.
United States — city level
Dozens of U.S. cities have passed plastic-straw ordinances ahead of their state legislation. The most-cited:
- Seattle, WA (2018) — the original. The first major U.S. city to pass a foodservice plastic-straw ban, following the Strawless In Seattle pilot.
- San Francisco, CA (2019) — broad single-use plastic ordinance.
- Washington, D.C. (2019) — foodservice straw ban.
- Miami Beach, FL (2018) — early single-use plastic action.
- New York City (2020) — implemented ahead of NY state.
- Berkeley, CA (2018) — passed an unusually broad single-use ordinance covering straws + cutlery + cups.
International
| Country | Year | Mechanism |
|---|---|---|
| European Union | 2021 | Single-Use Plastics Directive — bans plastic straws, cutlery, plates |
| United Kingdom | 2020 | Bans plastic straws, stirrers, cotton-bud sticks |
| Canada | 2022 | Federal ban on six categories of single-use plastic incl. straws |
| Taiwan | 2019 | Phased restaurant ban, full ban in 2030 |
| India | 2022 | Bans 19 single-use plastic items incl. straws |
| Costa Rica | 2017 | One of the earliest national bans |
| New Zealand | 2022 | Phased ban on plastic produce bags, straws, cutlery |
| Australia | 2021–2023 | State-by-state phased bans |
| Kenya | 2017 | Among the world's strictest plastic-bag bans; straws under regulation |
The "inclusive" requirement
The major design lesson from the early plastic-straw bans (2018–2019) was that initial ordinances often didn't include exceptions for the disability community. Disability advocates pushed back hard, and the second wave of legislation almost universally includes an exception: foodservice operations must keep flexible plastic straws available for guests who need them. The U.S. states and EU directives all include this language explicitly.
For the deeper conversation, see the disability community and plastic-straw bans.
How to support legislation in your area
- Check your state and city's current legislation status (linked above where available).
- Contact your state representative if no legislation has been introduced.
- Speak at city council meetings. Bring data — beach-cleanup numbers, the verified plastic-straw statistics.
- Make sure any legislation you support is inclusive — explicit disability-community accommodation.