Straws and Stirrers
Green purchasing guidance for straws and stirrers.
Required specifications
Purchasers must include these specifications, unless not possible:
- EO 20-01: State Efficiency and Environmental Performance (SEEP) states that “cutting harmful pollution caused by the burning of fossil fuels for state facilities and vehicles, and reducing solid waste pollution and the use of dangerous toxics in the products state agencies purchase will all have a direct positive effect on human health, particularly for vulnerable children.”
- All straws and stir sticks offered at food service operations in state facilities or by other suppliers must be one or more of the following:
- Reusable.
- Certified compostable by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) or another certifier approved by the state.
- Be made of paper, wood or agricultural fiber and be “Composter Approved (i.e., on the Compost Manufacturing Alliance or Cedar Grove Composting Facility’s Accepted Products List).
- Straws and stirrers should be given out at food service operations only upon request.
Laws, rules, and executive orders
These laws, rules, and executive orders must be included in the contract language:
End of life
Surplus goods that still can be used
- Use surplus disposal to get rid of items you no longer need. Keep materials out of landfills and make funds for your agency.
Recycling and disposal
Hazardous waste disposal guidelines and options:
- Department of Ecology: Dispose, recycle, or treat dangerous waste
- Washington Recycles
Contact us
Leatta Dahlhoff
Environmental Technical Analyst
Phone 360-407-8108