Portland City Council takes up plastic straw ban
File Photo / Kevin Steeves
The Portland City Council is scheduled to hold its first reading of a phased ban on straws on Oct. 7, and cast a vote two weeks later.
The Portland City Council will hold its first reading Monday evening of a proposed ban on plastic beverage straws, two weeks before a scheduled formal vote on the measure.
The plan, which got the green light from the city's Sustainability and Transportation Committee by a vote of 3-0, aims to discourage, and then ban, the use of plastic straws in stores and restaurants in Maine's largest city.
Officials estimate that 100,000 straws are used in Portland daily, and says the ordinance aims to cut down on pollution caused by the non-recyclable items. It also aims to encourage new habits, like residents bringing their own reusable straws to restaurants and coffee shops.
If the measure is approved, food providers as of April 1, 2020, would still be allowed to supply plastic drinking straws, stirrers or so-called splash sticks — but only on request. Then as of Jan. 1, 2020, distribution of plastic straws, stirrers or splash sticks would be banned outright.
Seattle became the first city to plan plastic straws and utensils in bars and restaurants in July 2018, followed by Washington, D.C., at the start of this year. A number of food service companies have pledged to do the same, responding to growing public outcry against a product critics say isn't needed and contributes to global ocean pollution.
One study cited by National Geographic in an article earlier this year shows that 500 million straws are used in the United States on a daily basis. According to another study, however, plastic straws make up only 0.025% of the 8 million tons of plastic that flow into the ocean every year.
Most Recent
Most Recent
1 Comments