Restaurants getting used to Eugene's single-use ordinance

EUEGENE, Ore. (AP) — Despite a 4-month-old city ordinance, Eugene restaurants still are adjusting to asking questions like, "Do you need a straw?" or "Would you like a fork?" when providing customers single-use items. Questions like those are required by the city code before a customer is offered certain items with their drink or meal.

A city ordinance that went into effect June 17 says that retail food and drink establishments must ask and a customer must reply with consent to the items for them to be provided. Reusable items are not included in the ordinance, and it applies to all single-use straws, utensils, stirrers and condiment packets, no matter what material they're made of.

Though it's been active for four months, there's still plenty of confusion about the ordinance's specifics. A manager at Toxic Wings' Valley River Center location was unaware that the ordinance wasn't limited to plastic, and staff at a nearby Burrito Boy thought it included lids.

Despite allowing four months to learn and adjust, the city's waste prevention office is being understanding. This week, it's sending out a letter to affected businesses recapping the rule. The letter begins, "As you may know ... ." But city waste prevention analyst Anna Reid said she expects mixed reactions.

"We're still in that awareness phase," Reid said. "Hopefully for a lot of people, it's just a reminder, hopefully they already were aware and it might clear up some confusion," Reid said. Confusion is mainly around what's included in the ordinance, and that it's a restriction, not a ban, on single-use items, according to Reid.

"I hear that word, and it's not a ban. We're just trying to add that intentionality to that interaction," she explained.

She said her goal with the letter is to educate and provide resources for business owners and staff. The letter...