Jerry Brown (D) signed the first state law barring dine-in restaurants from providing plastic straws unless customers request them. A debate surrounding plastic straws has bubbled up in recent months as several major cities have instituted or considered similar bans. Earlier this year, the European Union proposed banning plastic products, including straws, cotton swabs and stir sticks. Scotland has said it plans to outlaw plastic straws by 2019, while Taiwan aims to ban a number of single-use plastic items, including straws, cups and shopping bags, by 2030. Because of their size and composition, plastic straws typically cannot be recycled.

Source: Huffington Post September 21, 2018 19:18 UTC