Straws Upon Request in California

On Thursday, Governor Brown signed into law AB 1884, making plastic straws available only by request at full-service restaurants across California.

Straws are often littered, or caught by the wind, and washed into storm drains that empty into streams, bays, and other waterways, ultimately reaching our ocean and beaches. In 2017, straws and stirrers were the 8th most common item found and picked up at California Coastal Cleanup Day. 

Marine life, including sea turtles, can be harmed by ingesting plastic straws. In 2015, an Olive Ridley sea turtle was found with a four-inch plastic straw lodged in it’s nasal cavity, inhibiting it’s breathing and sense of smell, critical in the ability to find food. 

As toxins from marine plastic pollution make their way up the food chain, they pose a dangerous threat to humans and wildlife who consume them, and can lead to health problems in humans including birth defects, cancer, and learning and growth deficits in children. Many plastics contain chemicals that leach out, especially when exposed to weathering, heat, or UV light.

AB 1884 only applies to full-service restaurants in California, but it's a big step in the right direction!