Restaurants in St. Louis Park won't give customers straws unless they ask, under an ordinance that went into effect Wednesday.
Among other goals, St. Louis Park's Zero Waste Packaging Ordinance aims to reduce single-use straws that have become a villain for those worried about plastic pollution in the oceans.
Parts of the ordinance that required all single-use packaging in restaurants, bars and gas stations to be recyclable and compostable went into effect in 2017.
Also as of Wednesday, food establishments in the city must use reusable or compostable utensils. Food trucks should use lids that match the material of the cup — recyclable for recyclable, and compostable for compostable. Compostable lids used at food trucks should be correctly labeled.
A statewide ban on plastic straws was introduced in the Legislature in January 2019 but failed to advance.
