Calabasas Plastic Straw, Cutlery Ban Goes Into Effect Soon

CALABASAS, CA – No retail food establishments or nonprofit food providers in Calabasas will provide, distribute or sell plastic straws, stirrers and cutlery to consumers beginning April 30, according to the City.

However, non-plastic alternatives such as those made from bamboo, sugar cane or paper, may be made available to customers by restaurants, the City of Calabasas said. These non-plastic alternative straws shall only be provided if a customer requests one, the press release said.

“Calabasas continues to be an environmentally forward-thinking city,” said Calabasas Mayor David J. Shapiro. “We will continue to work to protect our environment and future generations.”

According to the City, an estimated 500 million plastic straws are used and discarded every day, which is enough to wrap around the earth 2.5 times per day. California's "Coastal Cleanup Day" has tracked the amount of trash collected since 1992: plastic cutlery is the fifth most common item collected, and plastic straws and stirrers are the sixth most common, the press release said.

"There are ADA exceptions for those with special needs, and allows businesses to provide plastic straws for medical reasons to people with disabilities or other health-related conditions," according to the City. "The ban does not apply to grocery stores."

For more information, visit the City of Calabasas website.