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Seattle officially bans plastic straws and utensils

As of July 1, straws, plastic utensils and cocktail picks are prohibited in Seattle. This makes it the first major U.S. to successfully pushย such legislation. The ban is extensive and applies to all food services businesses, including restaurants, grocery stores, cafeterias, for trucks, coffee shops and delis. It’s not illegal to provide these items altogether, however. Businesses may switch over to utensils that are environmentally friend and/or compostable. Reusable steel and recyclableย paper are acceptable materials, but the city prefers that the customer ask for them, rather than making them standard with purchase. The ban on plastic comes as a concern about needless waste and threat to wildlife โ€” particularly marine life. Americans use about 500 million straws per day and straws repeatedly turn up in the top 10 most common items collected during the International Coastal Cleanup, according to nonprofit organization Sailors for the Sea. A 2015 video of an…